Breast surgical oncologist Melissa L. Kaptanian (formerly Hulvat), MD, FACS, practices with Logan Health Breast Center, specializing in surgery for breast cancer and other surgically treated diseases of the breast. Dr. Kaptanian received her medical degree from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and completed her general surgery residency in 2008. She was awarded a fellowship in breast surgical oncology at the Lynn Sage Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. She is strongly committed to increasing access to up-to-date breast health care for women of northwest Montana and raising awareness about the importance of appropriate screening and risk reduction. She strives for superior cosmetic results for every patient and collaborates extensively with reconstructive surgeons. As medical director of both the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) accredited breast program and Commission on Cancer accredited cancer program she works to ensure all patients with cancer have access to the highest quality of care along with supportive services to treat the whole person – not just their cancer. Breast surgery is her passion and her calling, as it offers her extensive interaction with the patient and family plus the challenge of surgery. The Flathead Valley felt like home the first time she ever visited Montana, and she still thanks her lucky stars every day that she gets to live and work here. When not at work she enjoys the rivers, trails and slopes of big sky country as well as the wonderful people she meets along the way.
Melissa Kaptanian, MD
Specialty
Breast Surgical Oncology
Service
Breast Health, Cancer Care
Biography
Certifications
American Board of Surgery, Certified in General Surgery
Fellowships
Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Fellowship in Breast Surgical Oncology
Residency
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Medical School
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Hospital Privileges
Logan Health Medical Center
Financial Assistance
This provider subscribes to the Logan Health Financial Assistance Program
Locations
Logan Health Breast Center
Publications
Kim Grindrod, Melissa Vornbrock, Melissa Hulvat, Lynn Troy, “Offering Naturopathic Medicine to Breast Cancer Patients in Northwest Montana,” 26th Annual Interdisciplinary Breast Center Conference in Las Vegas, April 9 - 13, 2016.
Kim Grindrod, BSN, RN,OCN,CBCN, Andre Vanterpool, BS,RT(N)(R), Gordon Donald Stillie, MS,DO,MBA,FACRO, William Benedetto, MD, Sandy Shaw, MSN,RN,MS, Niccole Caban, RT(R)(M)(BD), Melissa Hulvat, MD,FACS “Transition from Wire Localization to Radioactive Seed Localization in a Community Hospital,” Poster 71, Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) 40th Annual Congress, Orlando, FL April 23 – 26, 2015.
Thomas Wright & Melissa Hulvat MD FACS, “Reduced your risk of breast cancer in your own kitchen,” Daily Interlake, October 24, 2014
Surgical Oncology Self-Assessment Program (SOSAP), designed and offered by the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO), Breast Surgical Oncology Section corresponding author Nora Hansen, contributing authors Melissa Hulvat et al. 2013.
Melissa Hulvat, Debra Wade, Kim Grindrod, Jubilee Schroeder, Jamie Thornton, "Patient Perception of Breast Density," National Consortium of Breast Centers Annual meeting. Poster 28, March 2013
Melissa Hulvat, Jacqueline Jeruss, “Fertility preservation options for young women with breast cancer,” Current Opinions in Gynecology, 2011 Jun;23(3):174-82.
Melissa Hulvat, Nathan Sandalow, Alfred Rademaker, Irene Helenowski, Nora Hansen, “Time from Diagnosis to Definitive Surgical Treatment of Operable Breast Cancer in the Era of Multimodal Imaging,” Surgery, Surgery. 2010 Oct;148(4):746-50.
Melissa Hulvat, Jacqueline Jeruss, “The preservation of fertility in cancer patients,” European Oncology (formerly European Oncological Disease), 2010; 6(1):31-34.
Hulvat MC, Jeruss JS, “Axillary staging prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Predictors of recurrence,” Breast Diseases: A Year Book Quarterly, 2009; 20(2):177-178.
Melissa C. Hulvat, Jacqueline S. Jeruss, “Maintaining fertility in young women with breast cancer,” Current Opinions in Oncology, 2009 Dec; 10(5-6):308-317.
Melissa Hulvat, Nora Hansen, Jacqueline Jeruss, “Multidisciplinary Care for Patients With Breast Cancer,” Surgical Clinics or North America, 2009 Feb;89(1):133-176.
Hulvat M, Rajan P, Rajan E, Sarker S, Schermer C, Aranha G, Yao K, “Histopathologic characteristics of the primary tumor in breast cancer patients with isolated tumor cells of the sentinel node,” Surgery. 2008, Oct;144(4):518-524; discussion 524.
Erin Doren, Melissa Hulvat, Jonathan Norton, Prabha Rajan, Sharfi Sarker, Gerard Aranha, Katharine Yao. “Predicting Cancer on Excision of Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia,” American Journal of Surgery. 2008 Mar;195(3):358-61.
Melissa Hulvat, Katharine Yao, John Norton, Prabha Rajan, Elizabeth Rajan, Gerard Aranha. “Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Breast Cancer Patients More Than 70 Years of Age,” Laboratory Investigation, 2007; 87(S1):36A.
Melissa Hulvat, Rajiv Kumar, Barry Newman, Jonathan Muraskas, “Annular Pancreas in Identical Twin Newborns,” Journal of Pediatric Surgery, 2006; 41:E19-E21.
Mark A. Chidel, John Suh, Chandana A. Reddy, Sam Chao, Melissa Lundbeck, Gene Barnett, “Application of Recursive Partitioning Analysis and Evaluation of the Use of Whole Brain Radiation Among Patients Treated with Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Newly Diagnosed Brain Metastases,” Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Physics, 2000; 47(4):993-999.