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February Is National Cancer Prevention Month

Maintaining Healthy Habits in the New Year

At Pasadena CyberKnife, our mission is to bring hope in the battle against cancer no matter what you’re up against. We’re proud to offer some of the world’s most advanced radiation therapy cancer treatments, including the cutting-edge CyberKnife System – but when it comes to cancer, prevention is always more effective than treatment. February is National Cancer Prevention Month, and it’s a holiday we take very seriously at our Pasadena cancer center.

Learn the Best Tips to Prevent Cancer

At present, scientists still aren’t sure exactly what causes cancer. But through research, they’ve been able to identify risk factors: variables and factors in a person’s life that make them more likely to develop cancer during their lifetime. While each cancerous condition has its own unique set of risk factors, there are some risk factors that are common to many forms of cancer – so one of the best ways to prevent cancer is to take steps to mitigate some of the most common cancer risk factors. With that in mind, here are a few simple tips on how to prevent cancer by limiting the most common risk factors:

  • Don’t Use Tobacco: Smoking is the leading risk factor for many kinds of cancer, but it’s not just smoking that’s a problem. Tobacco use of any kind dramatically increases your chance of developing cancer, so eliminating tobacco from your life is one of the best ways to prevent cancer.
  • Eat a Healthy Diet: Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is another way to help prevent cancer, especially one that uses fruits and vegetables as your biggest food source.
  • Exercise: Physical activity and exercise also play a major role in cancer prevention. For the biggest impact, strive to get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity every week.
  • Sun Protection: Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, so being diligent about sun protection has major cancer prevention benefits. This includes wearing sunblock, but don’t forget that covering up with clothing is even more effective.

These tips will help to lower your risk of developing cancer – but if you are ever diagnosed with cancer, remember that there’s always hope. Our Pasadena cancer clinic offers a number of cutting-edge cancer treatments, and our expertise and advanced technology mean we can often treat cases that other cancer centers can’t.

Contact Your Pasadena Cancer Treatment Center

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, you deserve to explore all of your options for treatment. Our cancer center offers effective, noninvasive radiation therapy treatments for a wide range of cancerous conditions. Take the first step towards treatment and reclaiming the life you deserve by calling us at 626.768.1021 to schedule a consultation. We look forward to hearing from, and we wish you a happy, healthy National Cancer Prevention Month.

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Maintaining Healthy Habits in the New Year

Maintaining Healthy Habits in the New YearThe new year is upon us, and we know people all over the country are looking to improve their health and lifestyle over the course of the coming year. Health becomes even more important when cancer comes into play, and whether you’re a survivor, currently battling cancer, or simply looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle to help prevent cancer, we at Pasadena CyberKnife are here to help. Read on for some simple tips that can help you prevent cancer and maintain better health in 2020.

Cancer-Fighting Health Tips for 2020

Whether for the purposes of battling cancer or simply to maintain better health, the new year is a great opportunity to make healthier switches in your lifestyle. Here are a few great ways to improve your overall health and wellness in the new year:

  • Focus on Mental Health: Science is increasingly showing us that health is holistic, and mental health is an important part of the balance. It’s important to focus on mental health as well as bodily health, so try adopting some self-care habits like meditating, mindfulness, or other strategies to improve your mental health alongside your bodily health.
  • Adopt a Cancer-Fighting Diet: Diet is a big factor in every aspect of health, and it can even have an impact in preventing and fighting cancer. Eating a healthy, balanced diet that’s rich in fruits and vegetables is a great way to elevate health, and adding foods like turmeric or garlic, which may have cancer-fighting properties, can help.
  • Get It Moving: Exercise is a vital component of both bodily and mental health, so this year, make a commitment to increase your activity levels. Whether it’s running, yoga, or just a daily walk, any additions you make to your exercise regimen will be a big boost to your health.

Contact Your Pasadena, CA Cancer Specialists

We hope these tips help you get inspired and take action to improve your health in 2020, and if you or a loved one ever get the bad news of a cancer diagnosis, we’ll be here to help. Contact us today to learn more about how you can support overall health and fight cancer, and if you are in need of cancer treatment, request a consultation to see how our leading radiation therapies can help. We look forward to hearing from you, and we wish you a healthy new year!

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Happy Friday! Another Happy Case!

Happy Friday!  What better way to start the weekend than sharing with you a recent case we successfully treated at our center?

J.S.,a 61-year-old lady, who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer and received palliative external radiation treatment in November 2009.  A few weeks ago, she started having a sudden onset of double vision and was referred to our center for evaluation.  We ordered a set of MRI and CT scans for her to find out what was causing the problem.  MRI of the brain revealed a 2.5cm tumor in the skull base (the central portion of her brain) and the CT scan showed bony destruction.  The result of the scans was consistent with a solitary brain metastasis.

After examination by our neurosurgeon Dr. Fineman, he confirmed that her double vision problem was due to a paralysis of the muscles that move the right eye.  J.S. decided to wear an eye patch to help relieve her double vision.  To lighten up her unfortunate situation, she called herself a “pirate” and even carried a fake parrot on her shoulder.

Fortunately, J.S. was determined to be a perfect candidate for the CyberKnife radiosurgery treatment and she agreed to undergo the treatment.  She received 3 fractions of treatment (3 days of treatment) and each treatment took about 30 minutes.  The CyberKnife treatment is painless and is done in an outpatient setting.  J.S. tolerated the short course of treatment very well without any side effect.

One week after the treatment, her eye muscles have been restored.  She can now control and move her right eye.  What about her double vision?  It is GONE, and so is the eye patch!  She is so happy that she can drive again.  What about her parrot?  J.S. is so grateful for what we at Pasadena Cyberknife Center have done for her and since she is no longer a “pirate”, she decided to give her parrot to Dr. Mak as a gift =).  By the way, we have yet given the parrot a name, do you have any suggestion?

The CyberKnife radiosurgery is an excellent treatment for brain metastases.  It delivers high dose of radiation targeted to the metastatic lesions in one to five fractions.  The tumor control is around 80-85%, which is much higher than conventional radiation or IMRT (Intensity modulated radiation therapy).  Because of that, patients live longer and do not suffer from treatment related complications.

There is no better feeling than knowing you have made a positive impact on another person’s life.  We are so happy to be able to treat J.S. and to be a part of her healthcare team.

Dear J.S.:  We wish you the very best in every aspect of your recovery and don’t worry, we will take good care of your parrot =)

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