Dr. Irving LaFrancis, MD

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Get to know Hematologist-Oncologist Dr. Irving LaFrancis, who serves patients in Joplin, Missouri.

Dr. LaFrancis is a hematologist-oncologist practicing at the following locations in Joplin, Missouri: Mercy Clinic Oncology and Hematology – Joplin & Mercy Cancer Center – Joplin.

Mercy Clinic Oncology and Hematology – Joplin specializes in diagnosing and treating patients with cancer, and blood disorders like anemia and bleeding or clotting problems. The oncologists provide a full range of chemotherapy and immunotherapy services, as well as patient care and family support. They work closely with the patient’s primary care physician and other specialists to develop individualized treatment plans and coordinate all aspects of the patient’s care.

Mercy Cancer Center – Joplin is home to the latest in cancer technology and treatments, including daVinci® robotic assisted surgery, Elekta Versa HD, the most advanced linear accelerator in the region offering IMRT stereotactic radiation treatment and 3D radiotherapy, PET/CT scans, prostate cancer treatment with SpaceOAR Hydrogel, and the region’s only automated breast ultrasound (ABUS).

Educated in the United States, Dr. LaFrancis graduated with his medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia in 1987. He then pursued his internship in internal medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital, his residency in internal medicine at Danbury Hospital, and his fellowship in medical oncology at Roger Williams Medical Center.

Following his training, he attained board certification in medical oncology and internal medicine through the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). The ABIM is a physician-led, non-profit, independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world.

In his local area, Dr. LaFrancis is affiliated with Mercy Hospital Joplin and Mercy Hospital Carthage.

Hematology is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. A hematologist-oncologist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of cancer, malignant blood diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, and blood disorders such as iron-deficiency anemia, clotting abnormalities, hemophilia, and sickle-cell disease.

On a more personal note, Dr. LaFrancis speaks both English and German. 

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