In recognition of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Sumeet Mendonca and Dr. Theresa Chan share their expertise in a special segment on breast cancer on KTVK TV 3, Arizona’s Family. ⁠⁠

Dr. Sumeet Mendonca serves as the Director Of Breast Oncology at Ironwood Cancer and Research Centers. She received her medical degree from University of Mumbai after which she spent several years in research at the Center for Immunotherapy of Cancer and Infectious Diseases at University of Connecticut. Her work was very well received and resulted in several publications in premier peer reviewed journals. She completed her training in Medical Oncology at St Elizabeth Medical Center, Tufts University, Boston and while she is Board certified in Medical Oncology, she has further specialized in breast malignancies. Dr. Sumeet Mendonca has been a practicing oncologist in Arizona since 2008, initially with Desert Oncology Associates and has been with Ironwood Cancer and Research Centers since their merger in 2012.

As a part of an expatriate family, she received a global educational imprint in places like India, Singapore, and Nigeria shaping her outlook and enhancing respect to the cultural diversities in our society which bodes well in sensitive patient physician relationships.

Besides her commitment to her patients as a clinical oncologist she also continues to be actively involved in research, serving as an investigator on clinical trials as well as partaking in community initiatives where she is an active speaker. Well recognized by her patients and peers alike, it comes as no surprise that she has been Top Doc in PHOENIX Magazine several times.

What matters most to Dr. Mendonca, always, are her patients. A tireless advocate for the promotion of women’s health, focusing on prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer. Dr Mendonca’s key priority is on delivering individualized care in a comprehensive and compassionate manner.

Dr. Theresa W. Chan joined Ironwood Cancer & Research Centers in October 2021.  Dr. Chan completed her Breast Surgical Oncology fellowship at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) where she trained with leaders in the field of personalized and precision breast cancer management.  She has a special interest in women’s health which drew her to breast surgery and in evaluating the under- and overtreatment of breast cancer.

Dr. Chan earned her Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Engineering degree in Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University.  After completing her medical degree at the University of Cincinnati, she trained in general surgery at the University of California San Diego (UCSD).  Throughout her training, she has focused on not only refining her technical expertise but also tackling critical questions to advance the medical field and improve patient care.  She was the 2017 recipient of the Shock Society Research Investigator Fellowship award and studied the human-specific response to inflammation.  As a trauma research fellow at UCSD, she analyzed molecular mechanisms that modulate pathways in the human response to injury.  She has presented at multiple conferences for professional organizations and has received national awards.

Dr. Chan treats both benign and malignant breast conditions and focuses on a multidisciplinary, evidence-based approach to caring for each patient as a whole individual.  Her training in breast surgery enables her to offer patients comprehensive breast cancer care in collaboration with Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, and Plastic Surgery.  She is a member of the American College of Surgeons, Association for Academic Surgery, American Society of Breast Surgeons, and Society of Surgical Oncology.

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