Brachytherapy joins cancer fighting
arsenal at Cancer Center
by Melva Geyer
July 28, 2010 - When Patrick Riley was diagnosed with prostate
cancer several months ago, he selected a procedure called brachytherapy
to initially treat the disease.
“As it turned out, I was very pleased with the results,
so I’m glad I elected to move forward with that option,”
said Riley, a 65-year-old minister from Leonard.
That treatment was carried out at the offices of Dr. Gregory
Echt in Dallas where he had been sent by Greenville urologist
Dr. John Wang.
“I was satisfied with what was done by Dr. Echt –
he is wonderful – but, what a blessing this (Lou and Jack
Finney) Cancer Center is. Making the brachytherapy available
gives the hospital the advantage of having everything here,”
Riley said.
Brachytherapy is the latest weapon being added to the arsenal
of cancer-fighting treatments at Hunt Regional Medical Center.
Riley agrees that at no time do the words “close to home”
resonate more than when assuring a cancer patient that state-of-the-art
treatment is available locally.
That, of course, was the intent when the Lou and Jack Finney
Cancer Center was built two years ago at Hunt Regional Medical
Center (HRMC). The center would provide state-of-the-art technology
and treatment in both chemical and radiation therapy.
“We are excited about this addition,” said Mike
Klepin, HRH administrator. “It will allow us to offer
yet another procedure that will make travel to the Metroplex
unnecessary.
“We strongly believe that reducing patient travel lessens
the stress and becomes part of the healing process.”
Brachytherapy utilizes seed implants in the prostate to destroy
cancer cells. The radioactive seeds are placed directly into
the prostate, the gland that produces semen in the male reproductive
system. Before the seeds are implanted, the patient receives
anesthesia. Surrounding tissue receive only minimal radiation
exposure. The physician performs the procedure while viewing
it on a monitor. The urologist or oncologist will counsel the
patient on steps to follow after the implants are completed.
The seeds – about the size of a grain of rice –
are usually permanently implanted in the prostate gland where
they irradiate the cancer from inside. Ionizing radiation kills
the tumor by destroying the DNA within the cancer cells over
a period of months, and the radiation dissipates after the seeds
have done their work. 
The seed implant procedure will involve a team of specialists
including Wang, radiation oncologist Dr. James Petrikas and
Cancer Center physicist Dr. Dana Rosencranz. The team works
in concert to determine in advance the radiation dosage and
exact number of seeds required for the patient, as well as the
precise placement of the seeds. This approach is aimed at ensuring
that the brachytherapy patient is well informed throughout the
diagnostic and treatment process, and has the advantage of becoming
an active participant in his own therapy.
While brachytherapy dates back to 1901, shortly after the discovery
of radiation, the continued rise over the years in the number
of men diagnosed with prostate cancer led to refinements of
this procedure through the use of digitized equipment which
is more and more making it the treatment of choice.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates there will be 186,320
cases diagnosed this year and some 28,660 men will die from
the disease. Although this disease is the second leading cause
of cancer-related death in males, the 5-year survival rate if
the cancer is detected in its early stages is nearly 100 percent.
Statistics show cure rates in low risk patients are equal to
or better than surgery or external beam radiation (EBRT). For
intermediate and high-risk patients, brachytherapy combined
with EBRT has resulted in superior outcomes when compared to
surgery.
Riley is currently taking a round of 25 EBRTs. He said it would
have been 40 treatments without the brachytherapy which was
performed in early March.
“Again, having brachytherapy available as a treatment
choice to patients here (in Hunt County) can mean a lot to that
patient and his family,” says Caroline M. Strong, a senior
account executive with the urological division of Bard, a global
leader in healthcare product development, and the provider of
implantation hardware that will be used at HRMC. Strong spent
time at the Finney Cancer Center in late April offering technical
training to those who will be involved in the procedure.
Besides being close to home, the other advantages are limited
lost work time, minimal post-operative pain and a single procedure
instead of a month of radiation. “In many cases, men can
be back at work or back on the golf course within a few days,”
Strong said.
John Ervin, HRMC Imaging Center director, sees the addition
of brachytherapy as a significant step forward in the evolution
of the cancer center. Ervin said, “The partnership of
a urologist and oncologist, as well as staff from the imaging
center and cancer center make a formidable team in the fight
against prostate cancer in North Texas.”
Riley, whose wife, Freda, is a 15-year survivor of breast cancer,
is convinced that the Lou and Jack Finney Cancer Center is exceeding
expections not only in the physical care of cancer patients,
but also in the mental state of mind that is a result of both
the center’s convenience and the staff’s compassion.
Summertime nutrition
by Amanda Johnson
July 15, 2010 - Summertime for most means time to have fun,
barbeque a bunch of burgers and put your feet up and catch a
few rays while sitting around the pool.
Fortunately, summertime also provides us with an abundance
of nutritious, often home-grown and tasty foods such as berries,
tomatoes, peppers and fish. Incorporating these healthy foods
into your daily diet can help you avoid common summertime woes
such as dry skin, weight gain and muscle cramps.
Although certain foods-like your favorite cheeseburger-may
not be the healthiest choices, it is possible to make them more
healthy. Portion control and adding a proper side dish can make
any meal healthier.
“Any food can be healthy depending on how a person eats,”
nutritionist Siew-Lan NG said. “It is ok to eat the foods
you love in the summertime, if you eat them in a healthier way.”
As an example, NG offered suggestions on how to make the most
well known summer treat, a burger, a more nutritious choice.
“A burger can be made healthier by switching to lean
meat, adding mustard instead of mayonnaise and eating a green
salad instead of potato salad,” NG said. “These
adjustments along with the recommended amount of exercise will
help you stay healthy and still enjoy your favorite foods.”
Although many people see working out with a regular exercise
program as “a hassle,” the American Dietetic Association
says everyone should engage in some variation of physical movement
30 minutes a day at least 3 days a week in order to stay fit.
Perhaps the most important key to a healthy summer is staying
hydrated in the Texas heat. However it is safe to say that not
everyone likes plain water. There are ways to help make water
a more appealing drink.
“Adding cucumbers, lemons or fresh fruit juice to water
can make it taste sweeter and thus make it more likely people
will drink it,” NG said.
Making these small adjustments to your diet and exercise routines
will help keep you healthy this summer.
Asim Usman, M.D. named Senior Fellow
in Hospital Medicine
by Amanda Johnson
Hunt
Regional Medical Center and hospitalists’ director, Asim
Usman, M.D., SFHM has received the Senior Fellow in Hospital
Medicine (SFHM) designation from the Society of Hospital Medicine.
As a hospitalist, Dr. Usman only sees hospital patients and
does not operate a private practice.
To receive the SFHM designation, the candidate must meet criteria
that validate their role as a leader in hospital medicine. The
senior fellow must demonstrate dedication to quality and process
improvement, commitment to organizational teamwork and leadership,
as well as lifelong learning and education.
“Dr. Usman was one of nearly 200 to be in this inaugural
class of Senior Fellow, inducted in April at the Society of
Hospital Medicine’s 2010 Annual Meeting in Washington,
DC,” said Jeffery G. Wiese, M.D., SFHM President.
The SFHM designation gives hospitalist change leaders the opportunity
to be recognized for their work and commitment to the practice
of hospital medicine and the patients they serve.
“It has been a pleasure working with Dr. Usman these past
four years in leadership positions at HRMC,” said James
H. Sandin, M.D., F.A.C.S, Assistant Administrator for Medical
Affairs. “He is dedicated, congenial, patient oriented
and thoroughly professional, enjoying the respect of the medical
staff and administration.”
Until now, the field of hospital medicine has not had a way
to recognize those hospitalists who have been at the front of
this rapidly growing specialty.
“Our hope is that you would take a moment to congratulate
Dr. Usman and Celebrate this wonderful achievement and milestone
in his career,” Weise said.
Bronchoscopy Procedure Now Offered
at Hunt Regional
Medical Center
by Amanda Johnson
July 1, 2010 - “The ability to detect lung cancer at an
early stage is extremely important to successfully treat that
disease,” said John Ervin, director of the Imaging Center
at Hunt Regional Medical Center (HRMC) at Greenville.
With the recent acquisition of a Super Dimension bronchoscope,
the surgery department at HRMC has added a new tool to aid in
the early detection of lung cancer and the diagnoses of other
problems of the lung.
In bronchoscopy, a flexible, lighted tube that can produce optical
images, perform biopsies and remove fluid is used to directly
examine a patient’s air passages.
The bronchoscope is inserted through the sedated patient’s
mouth and throat, or through the nose. The flexibility of the
tube allows it to be moved around the bends in the larynx, trachea
and bronchi.
“The bronchoscope is located in the surgery department
because it requires that the patient be placed under anesthesia,”
said Kathy Magee, RN, director of the center.
The procedure is usually performed as a day surgery, and only
rarely is an overnight stay required.
“Our Super Dimension bronchoscope is the first of its
kind, and it is not available at many hospitals,” Magee
said. “The equipment really is state-of-the-art and provides
excellent visualization.”
By enabling lesions and mass to be discovered at an earlier
stage, the bronchoscopic equipment will be of great benefit
for cancer patients who may be a candidate for radiation therapy
at the Lou and Jack Finney Cancer Center at HRMC.
“If a patient is a candidate for radiation at our Finney
Cancer Center, the bronchoscope will be able to pinpoint exactly
where radiation is needed,” Magee said. “This is
a very positive addition because it is no longer necessary to
send patients to Dallas or elsewhere for this examination and
treatment.”
“The bronchoscope has the ability to detect small lesions
that are deep in the bronchial tree, a hug advance over our
prior equipment,” Ervin said. “Small lesion detection
frequently means earlier stages of cancer development and because
treatment can be initiated earlier in the development and improved
survival period for the patient is the result. This is definitely
an example of when smaller is better.”
In addition to permitting early detection of lung tumors,
other benefits of the bronchoscope include:
Affiliated
with Baylor Health Care System