coming home to Tennessee to build a gynecologic oncology program at the medical center.
Kilgore came from humble roots in Whitwell, Tennessee, and had attended the University of Tennessee Knoxville to earn a BA in Biology. He then attended medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. He went on to complete an internship, residency and fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at UAB. After completing his fellowship, he was offered a position at UAB where he had an illustrious academic career that included patient care, research and education culminating in Kilgore becoming professor and the Fellowship Director in Gynecologic Oncology. Although Kilgore was on the faculty for 20 years at UAB, he had remained a true and loyal Big Orange fan attending many home and road games with one of his children graduating from UT Knoxville. In October 2009, Kilgore began to build a comprehensive program in Gynecologic Oncology that included state-of -the-art robotic surgery, patient access to clinical trials and training the next generation of women’s health providers. As the sole practitioner in the group, he faced a difficult and challenging year as the number of referrals to the new service grew rapidly. With support from colleagues in surgical oncology and medical oncology, Kilgore was able to meet the increasing demand of services. He immediately began recruiting an associate to join the new division. Kilgore targeted an outstanding physician he helped recruit and train in the UAB gynecologic residency and fellowship programs. In August 2010, Kristopher J. Kimball, MD joined University Gynecologic Oncology. Kimball, an Atlanta native, had attended the University of the South in Sewanee and attended medical school at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He then completed his residency and fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at UAB. Like Kilgore, Kimball was a Big Orange fan and loved the mountains and rivers of East Tennessee. Kilgore and Kimball continued to build a comprehensive, multidisciplinary Gynecologic Oncology program, providing advance treatment techniques such as robotic surgery and multi-modal treatment options for ovary, uterine and cervical cancer patients. Robotic surgery provides a minimally invasive approach resulting in shorter hospital stays, quicker recoveries, less pain and smaller incisions, and has grown from a single robotic platform to multiple units. Kilgore and Kimball brought knowledge and expertise in robotic surgery to the medical center providing new and safer surgical options for women in need of surgery for gynecologic cancers.
Larry C. Kilgore, MD Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division Director for Gynecologic Oncology, Gynecologic Oncologist
Kristopher J. Kimball, MD Associate Professor, Program Director,
Obstetrics/Gynecology Residency, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Gynecologic Oncologist
The field of Gynecologic Oncology is unique in that the physicians not only perform surgery, but they also prescribe and manage the systemic treatments for these cancers such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy and endocrine therapies. The gynecologic oncologists also serve as consultative and education resources for OB/GYNs and primary care physicians in the region. They also collaborate with the radiation oncologists to provide advanced treatments including high-dose radiation therapies. In the first two years of a formal Gyneoncologic Oncology service, the number of new cases grew by 236%!
Cancer Institute Annual Report | 7
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