Clinical Specialties

Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute is Montana's most comprehensive and state-of-the-art cancer facility. Benefis SCI has been uniquely designed to care for the mind, body and spirit of cancer patients and their caregivers.

Our team of expert medical oncologists and radiation oncologists, nurses and other cancer care professionals are dedicated to providing advanced cancer treatment, research and education to their fellow Montanans. Equally as important, Benefis SCI provides a truly progressive approach to preventing and diagnosing cancer.

Clinical Trials

The best management and treatment for cancer patients is in a clinical trial says the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute agrees and encourages all cancer patients to participate in clinical trials when possible.

Clinical trials are research studies conducted with patients to evaluate new forms of intervention with the hope of improving or extending the cancer patient’s life. Patients in clinical trials may be the first to receive promising new treatments before they become widely available.

Chemotherapy, Hormone Therapy and Immunotherapy

Benefis Sletten Cancer Instiute’s medical Oncologists are dedicated to finding better ways to detect and treat cancer.  Medical oncologists administer a variety of cancer therapies including chemotherapy, hormonal treatments and biological therapies.  In addition to our anti-cancer therapies, care includes intravenous fluids and feedings, antibiotics, blood products and many other drugs that prevent and control symptoms.  Our services are provided in the convenience and comfort of an outpatient environment. 

Radiation

Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute’s Radiation Oncology department is the first and only radiation oncology provider in Great Falls to offer the most experienced physicians, staff, and services since the 1970s. With our experience and accreditation through the American College of Surgeons, there is no other program that offers equivalent capabilities in the entire state.

We are proud to say that our physicians and staff are all board certified in their respective areas, and most importantly, care for you and your family with the highest level of compassion and care.

CyberKnife®: Giving Hope to Patients and Families

Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute in Great Falls is the first to offer CyberKnife® in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, and Wyoming. CyberKnife® is the world’s first robotic Radiosurgery tool offering hope to patients with both benign and malignant conditions – even conditions that were thought to be inoperable.

With its ability to deliver radiation from over 1,200 positions, the CyberKnife® is the first to allow Radiosurgery to be performed successfully anywhere in the body. Other advantages include:

  • 1-5 Days of Treatment
  • No pain
  • No incision
  • No blood loss
  • No recovery time – patients go home immediately
  • Provides an improved quality of life
  • Extremely accurate, with sub-millimeter of accuracy
  • No invasive head frame required
  • Provides real-time tracking of tumor and patient movement, and compensates to ensure treatment accuracy

Please call us today at 1.800.227.4518 to see if CyberKnife® is right for you!

Mammosite®

Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute offers Mammosite, a targeted radiation therapy, to women with early stage breast cancer.  Mammosite delivers radiation from within the breast limiting the exposure of healthy cells to radiation.  Women eligible for Mammosite complete their treatments in five days compared to the six or seven weeks of external beam radiation.

Hematology

The hematologists at Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute are dedicated to providing state-of-the-art treatment of blood and clotting disorders. These disorders include anemia, bone marrow failure syndromes, acute and chronic leukemia, multiple myeloma and venous thrombosis syndromes.

These specialists are trained in the management of adult and pediatric blood disorders. Physicians work in a multi-disciplinary manner with other specialists to manage complex cases. The hematologists are routinely consulted by primary care physicians from the entire Northcentral Montana region to assist in the diagnosis and management of blood disorders. Improving the treatment outcomes and quality of life for patients with these disorders is our mission.


Gynecologic Oncology

Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute, in cooperation with the University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute, provides the services of gynecologic cancer specialist Dr. Mark Dodson. Dr. Dodson is a gynecologic oncologist and faculty member of the University of Utah School of Medicine. He visits our Great Falls facility each month to conduct clinics, consultations and pre-op visits. Dr. Dodson will schedule and perform surgery on the more difficult cancer cases if needed, often working with the patient's own local physician.

Dr. Dodson is board certified in gynecologic oncology, treating reproductive cancers including ovarian, cervical, endometrial, vulvar, vaginal, and fallopian tube cancer. Most patients are initially evaluated by their primary care physician or general gynecologist.

Women interested in scheduling an appointment regarding gynecologic oncology concerns should request a referral from their primary care physician, or call Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute at 406.731.8200 or toll-free at 1.866.466.6822 for more information.

Genetic Counseling

Everyone has some risk for cancer. However, some families have a high risk for cancer due to inherited genetic changes. The Cancer Genetic Counseling Program can help to identify hereditary factors for cancer and provide options for genetic testing, appropriate screening and risk reduction for at-risk families. Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute is the only cancer program in Montana with a full-time Cancer Genetic Counselor.

Support Groups

Support groups are made up of people with common interests and experiences. People who have been through, or are going through, a similar circumstance can do more than sympathize with you — they can relate to what you are going through and keep you from feeling like you are alone.

The support groups offered at Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute are a place for people to give and receive both emotional and practical support as well as to exchange information. You’ll find the support groups to be a valuable resource — a place where you and your family and friends can share medical information, get confirmation that your feelings are "normal," educate others, or just let off steam.

There are many options available, so choose the support groups that are best suited for you. See what we have available HERE.

Surgery

Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute collaborates with surgeons to stage cancer, decide treatment or even relieve pain. 

Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy is a form of internal beam radiation achieved by delivering radioactive sources directly into the tumor.  The radioactive sources give a high dose of radiation therapy to the area surrounding the cancer site so that it limits the exposure of healthy tissue.


For more information about any of our treatments or services, please call Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute at 406.731.8200 or toll-free at 1.866.466.6822.