Recovering from breast cancer is hard enough without having to travel several hours for treatment.

So when Robin Hyden's doctor in Houston prescribed six weeks of daily radiation following her lumpectomy, the Matagorda, TX, resident knew exactly where she wanted to go: the Cancer Center at St. Luke's Health-Brazosport Hospital.

“They wanted me to go into Houston every single day, and I said, ‘No, there's a cancer center here,’” Robin recounted. In fact, it was only two blocks away from her office. Robin is the director of Parks and Recreation in Lake Jackson and has a full schedule managing the city’s programs and facilities. At the time, she was also caring for her elderly parents, so having her treatments close to home was much easier for her.

“We treat a lot of patients who undergo part of their cancer care elsewhere and then choose to have their treatment here at St Luke's Health-Brazosport Cancer Center,” explained Daniel Garlitos, MD, Robin’s oncologist, “especially patients who live more than an hour from Houston.”

Dr. Garlitos said the cancer center is equipped with the radiation technology and chemotherapy treatments most patients need, whether prescribed by an outside provider or the oncology team at St Luke's Health, which includes medical oncologist Hamza Minhas, MD, who is also on faculty at Baylor College of Medicine.

According to Dr. Garlitos, Robin’s tumor scored low on a predictive genetic diagnostic test called Oncotype DX, indicating that she would not require chemotherapy. “Thanks to genetic testing of her tumor, it was determined that there would be no apparent benefit from chemotherapy,” Dr. Garlitos explained. Robin was instead treated with breast radiation and placed on hormonal therapy, which she takes by mouth.

“Drs. Garlitos and his staff made me feel so comfortable,” Robin said. “It’s hard to wrap your head around [having cancer] and if I ever had questions or anything, I could always contact them, and they would always get back with me.”

“They made the process so much easier for me. I was always in and out,” Robin said. “I’m very happy with my decision. I've even referred other people because they were so great.”