Larry C. Kilgore, MD, is a new addition to the faculty and staff of the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville as a practicing physician in the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology Professor. He transferred to UT from the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB). 

Since 1984, Kilgore has published over 4o articles. His most referenced work appeared in the 1995 Gynecologic Oncology Journal on the subject of endometrial cancer, regarding the importance of surgical staging for lymph node dissection. Standard procedure had previously included hysterectomy followed by radiation. Kilgore's concern of over-radiating patients led to his study on improved surgical management as the better approach. 

 

Kilgore based his decision to move from Birmingham to Knoxville on several factors, including gut instinct. "I read the Malcolm Gladwell novel Blink, which explores the art of reacting to impulses or rapid cognition—the thinking that goes on in the blink of an eye. Gladwell makes the case that first impressions are usually on target and can be developed and controlled.

 

"The decision to move here is not based on any one 'blink' but several. One eye-opener came in May 2009 when I was invited to present a lecture on surgical bleeding at Grand Rounds at UT Medical Center. John Bell, MD, Director of the Cancer Institute and Professor of Surgery was in the audience. Afterward he told me that UT's top priority was to bring in a Gyn-Onc and that it was time for me to come home, or at least send him one of my fellows from UAB. This was an enticing proposal. I'm an East Tennessean by birth." 

 

Kilgore was the only child of a coal miner, growing up on a 30-acre farm in Marion County, Tenn., between Whitwell and Jasper northwest of Chattanooga. He upheld the family tradition started by several older cousins becoming Valedictorian of his graduating class. The cousins went to Vanderbilt University, but Larry opted for the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, followed by UT School of Medicine in Memphis. There, he became interested in surgery, women's health, and gynecological oncology.

 

Aware of the premier fellowship program at UAB, he trained there following graduation from UT Memphis, completing a four-year residency, three-year fellowship, and full professor position in 2003. He holds the distinction as the first to hold the $1.5 million J. Max Austin Endowed Chair.

 

During his career at UAB, which included an 11-year residency and 15-year fellowship, Kilgore remained close to home by helping maintain the family farm in Whitwell. Shortly after his 89-year-old father died in the summer of 2009, opportunity and timing brought him home to East Tennessee.

 

"The mission at UT Medical Center aligns with my personal values to focus on patient care, research and education. UAB is a 'starship' of an institution in size and mission, with eight people of my caliber in the Gyn-Onc program, while UT is just getting off the ground with one clinician of my credentials. Since I am at the peak of my career, it's a good opportunity for mutual growth."

 

Kilgore's vision for UT is to be a premier institution for patient care by providing greater access to a Gyn-Onc, research to be on the cutting edge of discovery, and teaching to produce the highest quality professionals available.

 

"We need to raise patient awareness. Despite what women have heard, ovarian cancer is not a silent disease. Symptoms are not dramatic, but they are indeed present. These can include G-I symptoms such as bloating and abdominal fullness. Recognizing these can save lives."

 

Kilgore has seen many positive patient outcomes, but a recent case summed up the importance of awareness, risk management and access to care and may have saved the lives of four women.

 

"I treated a 72-year-old woman who suspected she had ovarian cancer and believed her mother had died with the disease. It turned out she did have a mass and cancer. I explained that her 50-year-old daughter was at increased risk and should be tested. It turned out that she also had a tumor and underwent surgery. They both had chemotherapy, finishing up about a month apart, and both survived. Meanwhile, the 50-year-old woman has two daughters in their 30s, and she strongly recommended they get checked. Neither had developed cancer but because of very high risk, they underwent surgery to remove their ovaries and tubes. Now, everyone's fine."

 

Many factors have led to Kilgore's instinct, drawing him back home. He and his wife are now more flexible to relocate, having grown children; he is a huge Tennessee fan; and as a guitarist, he loves the music of this region.

 

"I come from a musical family. My dad played fiddle for 78 years on a German instrument imported into New York in 1795, and my mother played guitar. As a youngster, I loved the Beatles, but she insisted that I learn to play Chet Atkins style with a thumb pick. After all, he was practically a neighbor from Luttrell."

 

"I have been known to play in my office between operations while the staff prepares the OR. Folks at UT will likely be hearing some good 'ol East Tennessee guitar pickin' up and down the halls before long."