January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, and as a leading cancer center serving the greater Los Angeles area, we at Pasadena CyberKnife feel this is a critically important cause. With 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed every year, it’s important for men and women everywhere to understand the connection between cervical health and cancer, learn the best ways to protect cervical health, and take steps to prevent cervical cancer.
How to Take Care of Cervical Health
Almost every case of cervical cancer can be prevented – but only by protecting and promoting cervical health. Take these steps to protect cervical health and prevent cervical cancer in your own life and across the country:
- HPV Vaccination: For both men and women, getting an HPV vaccination is one of the most important steps to prevent cervical cancer. Keep in mind that men can get HPV and transmit the virus even if they show no symptoms.
- Quit Smoking: Smoking is another major risk factor for cervical cancer, so living tobacco-free is a great way to protect cervical health.
- Use Protection: While condoms don’t provide complete protection from HPV, they can help lower the risk of transmitting or contracting the virus.
- Get Checked: Starting at age 21, most women should receive regular Pap smears and HPV tests as a preventive measure for cervical cancer. Talk with your doctor to determine your own personal risk level for cervical cancer and decide on a screening schedule.
Contact Your Los Angeles Cancer Treatment Center
By taking these steps, you can lower your own risk for cervical cancer and help prevent the disease overall – but if you or someone you love has been diagnosed with cervical cancer, Pasadena CyberKnife may be able to help. Using the state-of-the-art, noninvasive CyberKnife System, we may be able to treat your cervical cancer without the need for surgery. Contact us today to learn more and schedule your consultation, and don’t forget to encourage everyone in your life to take steps to promote cervical health this year.
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Happy new year! We hope you’re enjoying the first days of 2018 and planning for a happy, fruitful year ahead – and if you’re like many Americans, you’re using the opportunity of the new year to think about your health and how you can maintain a healthy lifestyle moving into 2018. Beyond the usual regimen of diet and exercise, cancer prevention is a great goal to incorporate into your health-related New Year’s resolutions, and something we here at Pasadena CyberKnife Center often work to promote. January also happens to be Cervical Health Awareness Month – so if you’re a woman looking to make cancer prevention a bigger part of your life, now is the perfect time to start.
Preventing Cancer by Promoting Cervical Health
More than 13,000 people are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year in the US –and almost every single case is preventable. Unlike most cancers, cervical cancer is almost always preventable through HPV vaccination and regular screenings like Pap smears and HPV tests. This means that by focusing on maintaining cervical health, you can dramatically reduce your risk for cervical cancer – and working together, we can reduce the number of cervical cancer cases across the country.
The most important thing is to get an HPV vaccination if you haven’t already had one. This will prevent Human Papillomavirus, the most common sexually-transmitted infection (STI) and a major cause of cervical cancer. It’s also critical to note that the HPV vaccination isn’t just for women and girls: men can also contract HPV, and many may not show symptoms even though they can still transmit the virus. That means that Cervical Health Awareness month isn’t just for women – men have an important role to play.
Beyond that, it’s important to get Pap smears and HPV tests on a regular basis. For most women, that usually means getting a test every 3 years – but you should talk with your doctor to determine the best regimen for you based on your personal risk level.
Schedule a Consultation with Your Pasadena Radiation Therapy Center
This January, we hope you’ll take some time to think about how cancer prevention can play a larger role in your life – and if you haven’t taken steps to protect the health of your cervix and prevent cervical cancer, now is the time. If you’d like to learn more about cancer prevention, we encourage you to contact us with any questions. And if you or someone you love has recently been diagnosed with cancer, we may be able to help with non-invasive treatments like CyberKnife. Feel free to call us at 626.768.1021 to learn more, and no matter what your history with cancer, we wish you a healthy, cancer-free 2018!
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The holidays are here, and people are drafting lists of loved ones and gift ideas all over the country. If someone on your gift list is a cancer patient, however, finding the right gift can be a challenge. Cancer is a sensitive subject for anyone, and it’s difficult to know how to keep gifts respectful while also expressing how much you care. At Pasadena CyberKnife, our mission is to make the cancer treatment process as easy as possible for everyone. Here’s our guide to holiday gift-giving to cancer patients.
A Survivor Memoir
Books can be a source of encouragement, learning, and relaxation during treatment, and many patients find that reading stories of other cancer sufferers who survived can be heartening, therapeutic activity. A memoir from a cancer survivor makes a great gift for any cancer patient in your life. If you’re not sure where to start, check out It’s Only Temporary: The Good News & Bad News of Being Alive by Evan Handler.
A Unique Plant
This may sound surprising, but having something to care for – even something as simple as a potted plant – can actually be a tremendously positive factor for a cancer patient. The act of nurturing is rewarding on a deep emotional level, and caring for a beautiful plant helps many patients find solace in the day-to-day of the cancer treatment process. Succulents are an excellent choice for a gift to a cancer patient, as they’re unique, visually beautiful, and relatively easy to care for.
A Cleaning Service
Sometimes, the most mundane gifts can be the most impactful. One of the things that many people fail to realize about fighting cancer is that during the battle, life doesn’t stop. There are still dishes to be done, countertops to be cleaned, and clothes to be folded – and if a cancer patient just feels too exhausted to deal with cleaning, it’s easy for things to start piling up. Something as simple as an occasional cleaning service can make a powerful positive impact for a cancer patient, making an excellent holiday gift.
Contact Your Los Angeles Radiation Therapy Center
At the end of the day, the exact gift you give isn’t so important: what matters most is the care and love you show through the act of giving, and the ongoing support you provide as your loved one battles cancer. If someone you love is currently going through the fight against cancer or has recently been diagnosed, they deserve the best in their treatment – and Pasadena CyberKnife is here to help. As a leading radiation therapy clinic serving the Los Angeles area, we offer state-of-the-art CyberKnife treatment for many cancerous conditions. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and find out if we can help you or your loved one win the fight against cancer. Until then, we wish you a happy holiday season full of resilience, strength, and love.
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We know you’re probably looking forward to the Thanksgiving feast – but there’s another important reason to celebrate November. November is Carcinoid Cancer Awareness Month, and as a leading cancer treatment provider serving the greater Los Angeles area, we at Pasadena CyberKnife Center feel this is an important cause. The best way to fight cancer is through early detection and treatment, and raising awareness is a primary way to improve the early detection of cancer – so awareness months like this are critical.
About Carcinoid Cancer
Carcinoid cancer refers to a rare form of slow-growing neuroendocrine tumor that forms in the cells of the nervous or hormonal systems. Carcinoid tumors are most common in the lungs or the lining of the digestive tract, but they can also form in a variety of other areas of the body. Carcinoid cancer affects roughly 12,000 new people each year, with most people being diagnosed over age 60.
Unfortunately, many forms of carcinoid cancer don’t produce symptoms until very advanced stages – making them difficult to detect and treat early. Often, patients are diagnosed because their doctor sees a tumor in an X-ray for an unrelated condition. While carcinoid tumors grow slowly, the fact that they don’t generate symptoms means they’re rarely found until an advanced stage, presenting problems for treatment. By raising awareness around carcinoid cancer and encouraging regular cancer screenings, we can all help to fight carcinoid cancer and decrease the danger of this disease.
Contact Your Los Angeles Radiation Therapy Center
We hope you’ll take November as an opportunity to reflect on the importance of cancer awareness, learn more about carcinoid tumors, and take steps to prevent cancer help ensure early detection in your own life. If you’re even diagnosed with a carcinoid tumor or any other form of cancer, however, Pasadena CyberKnife Center can help. Our state-of-the-art cancer center offers the industry-leading CyberKnife treatment, a noninvasive method to treat almost any cancer – including most carcinoid tumors. Contact us today to learn more about CyberKnife and schedule a consultation.
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At Pasadena CyberKnife Center, we are passionate about helping our patients rekindle hope and reclaim their lives – and we’re never more grateful to do it then when we’re working with a veteran. At our office, we are proud of the long tradition of service that our veterans continue to selflessly uphold, and we firmly believe in the importance of giving back to our veterans. That’s why we’re excited to announce that our office has joined the Veteran’s Choice Program – and if you’re a veteran, you may be eligible for treatment.
Giving Choice in Medical Care
The Veteran’s Choice Program, or VCP, is an initiative aimed at easing the burden on VA hospitals and ensuring that veterans get timely, convenient access to the care they need. Essentially, the program allows qualifying veterans to seek treatment from a qualified non-VA hospital if they can’t easily get treatment through the VA system. It’s a great way for veterans to access the high-quality care they need without excessive travel or wait times.
Do I Qualify for the Veteran’s Choice Program?
If you’re a veteran, you may well qualify for the VCP. Here are a few of the factors for qualification:
- Can’t schedule an appointment within 30 days of the clinically indicated date
- Live more than 40 miles from a VA facility
- Must travel by boat, ferry, or plane to get to a VA facility
- Face an unusual or excessive burden in getting to a VA facility
Eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis, but if you’ve had difficulty getting treatment from the VA for whatever reason, you may be able to join the program. Check out this information sheet or call (866) 606-8198 to find out if you’re eligible – or, for more information, reach out to us.
Contact Your Pasadena CyberKnife Cancer Treatment Center
If you’d like to find out more about the VCP, learn more about CyberKnife treatment, or want to schedule a consultation with us, feel free to call us at (626) 325-0777 or reach out to us at our contact page. We can’t wait to hear from you, and whether you’re a proud veteran or a citizen who wants to take their life back, we look forward to helping you find hope even in the darkest situation.
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