Advancements in the Detection and Treatment of Cancer
Sophisticated Equipment and Leading-Edge Therapies Help Patients Overcome Cancer
When speaking to your physician about your risk for cancer, be prepared to discuss your diet, exercise regimen and other lifestyle choices that play a role in your overall health. This will help your physician develop personalized suggestions on what you can do to reduce your modifiable risk factors. Also bear in mind that your physician may inquire about your family's health history in order to assess your hereditary risk for disease, so if there have been any recent changes to the health status of your relatives, be sure to mention them during your appointment.
June 2007 — April is National Cancer Control Month, dedicated to highlighting advances against cancer and increasing public awareness of the disease.
Through diagnostic technology, innovative treatment options and multidisciplinary expertise, Memorial Cancer Institute — the leading cancer institute in Broward and Palm Beach Counties — is helping more patients overcome cancer. In addition to treating a wide variety of cancers, Memorial Cancer Institute offers comprehensive disease-specific programs for cancer of the breast, lungs, gastrointestinal system and hematologic malignancies.
Progressive Technologies
New technology is helping physicians to study the anatomy in greater detail and to more accurately diagnose diseases earlier. Recent additions of sophisticated equipment such as the LightSpeed VCT 64-slice scanner, which produces detailed 3-D renderings, delivers sharper images and more comprehensive views at a quicker speed. The Philips Achieva 3.0T Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), with twice the magnetic strength of its 1.5-tesla predecessor, keeps patients in the magnet for less time, while still allowing doctors to more accurately evaluate disease and respond to treatment. Another innovation is the Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/CT Scanner. PET provides functional and metabolic information, while CT scans depict anatomy. Now both technologies are fused into one scanner, so a patient can receive a PET and CT scan simultaneously. PET/CT scans are used in most every phase of cancer treatment, providing patients and doctors with vital, detailed information.
Treatment Advances
While early detection is an important first step against cancer, Memorial Cancer Institute also offers some of the most sophisticated advancements for the treatment of various types of cancer. These includes:
- Clinical Trials
gives patients access to some of the latest medications and protocols - Gamma-Directed Lymph Node Biopsy
reduces unnecessary radical surgery - High-Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy
administers high-intensity radiation directly in or near the cancer site for greater effectiveness and fewer side effects - Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
delivers precise radiation beams after ensuring accuracy by targeting the tumor before each treatment - Stereotactic Radiosurgery
provides radiation with surgical-precision for benign and malignant tumors of the brain & other parts of the body
If you would like a referral to a physician for cancer screening or treatment, call Memorial Physician Referral Service toll-free at (800) 944-DOCS. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.