Leon J. Yoder, DO, FACP – Gastroenterologist

The opportunity to spend more time with patients drew Dr. Leon Yoder to Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at Southwestern Regional Medical Center.

Dr. Yoder says it’s incredibly important to him to have ample time to focus on his patients’ needs, listen to and address their concerns, carefully consider all of their ailments, and work with other specialists to provide the most complete care to each patient.

He stresses, “We want to make sure that we take care of our patients in every way possible.”

Dr. Yoder says spending considerable time with patients builds their confidence in the treatment they’re receiving, and in themselves.

The gastroenterologist, who specializes in the treatment of bile duct and pancreatic cancers, says the prospect of offering new and innovative treatments also attracted him to CTCA. He’s especially excited to initiate a new treatment for bile duct cancers—photodynamic therapy (PDT). PDT uses a laser or other light source combined with a light-sensitive drug to target and destroy cancer cells. Currently, PDT is used to treat esophageal cancers. Dr. Yoder says that the treatment may be an option for bile duct cancer patients at Southwestern beginning in late 2008. He also performs over 1,000 endoscopy and colonoscopy procedures yearly.

Dr. Yoder is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Association of Physician Specialists in gastroenterology. He is a member of American College of Physicians and the American Association of Physician Specialists.

Dr. Yoder earned a medical degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine. He then completed a residency in internal medicine at Veterans Hospital (which is affiliated with Ohio State University), in Dayton, Ohio. In addition, he completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Colorado Medical Center in Denver.

Currently, he is participating in a gastrointestinal (GI) fellowship training program at Oklahoma State University.

For 25 years, Dr. Yoder practiced gastroenterology at Saint Francis Hospital and Broken Arrow Medical Center in the Tulsa area. He also served on executive committees and was Chief of Staff for two years at Broken Arrow Medical Center.

Dr. Yoder is an adjunct clinical associate professor of medicine at Oklahoma State University. He has been an instructor for family practice residents in the In His Image program. The residency program teaches physicians to provide spiritual care along with medical care.

Dr. Yoder has published on the subject of gastrointestinal hormones. His latest research is on the potential impact of lifestyle modifications on GI cancers. The research, which he is conducting along with a group of CTCA colleagues, assesses whether factors such as diet, smoking cessation, exercise, meditation, and no alcohol intake help to prevent GI cancers. Additionally, the research looks at the effects of such lifestyle modifications on patients receiving ongoing treatment for GI cancers.

For 15 years, Dr. Yoder has volunteered at an indigent care clinic for a program called Neighbor for Neighbor. Each month, he donates his time, providing medical care to families who do not have insurance.

Family means the world to Dr. Yoder. In fact, he might even say that family is the best medicine. His wife is a nurse, who now takes care of their grandchildren. He has four grown children (two are physicians) and nine grandchildren.