Dr. Allie Garcia-Serra, Radiation Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, says there are many cancers that have radiation therapy as the primary modality for cure; for example, head and neck cancer and cervix cancer.
She points out radiation is not only used as an adjunct, it can also be used as the primary modality to cure cancer. Dr. Maria-Amelia Rodrigues, Radiation Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, highlights some benign tumors that grow in the brain are cured by radiation therapy. Who is at risk of getting cervical cancer? Dr. Allie Garcia-Serra, Radiation Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, explains HPV, why it is the main risk factor for cervical cancer, and what you can do to prevent it. What is cervical cancer about? Dr. Allie Garcia-Serra, Radiation Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, explains how this disease affects the patient’s health, and what it is related to HPV. Which is the most common gynecologic cancer? Dr. Allie Garcia-Serra, Radiation Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, talks about endometrial cancer being the most common one and the incidence of cervical, and ovarian cancer. Dr. Maria-Amelia Rodrigues, Radiation Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, says radiation has been around for a long time in the treatment of cancer, starting with the use of radium in the beginning of 1900s to treat women with breast cancer.
Dr. Allie Garcia-Serra, Radiation Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, explains the benefits of radiation supersede the low rate of secondary malignancy. Dr. Maria-Amelia Rodrigues, Radiation Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, says Marie Curie was a role model for any of the females in science and, especially, in radiation oncology. She also highlights Curie was the first person to ever have 2 Nobel prizes.
Dr. Allie Garcia-Serra, Radiation Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, explains that Curie paid a deep price dying because of her experimental evaluation of radiation and live radioactive sources. She points out cesium, one of the radioactive sources Curie discovered was used until 10 years ago to cure cervix cancer. Proton therapy, ViewRay MRIdian MR Linac therapy, Gamma Knife therapy, CyberKnife therapy, TrueBeam therapy, and Radixact Tomotherapy are some options for a radiation oncology program.
Dr. Allie Garcia-Serra, Radiation Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, explains proton therapy is used when the patient has a tumor in close proximity to a structure that they want to protect, like the rectum, the bladder, or somewhere in the brain, for example. Dr. Allie Garcia-Serra, Radiation Oncologist with Miami Cancer Institute, says to elaborate the best treatment plan they have to review the science behind the particular patient’s cancer, because it is not created equal.
She explains radiation therapy is a personalized medicine approach, because everybody’s cancer is different. She also highlights the importance of addressing the psychological component in the patient, because they are sometimes covered in anxiety about their treatment. According to the specialist, the person in total needs to be addressed, and not just the cancer and the cancer treatment.
