Cancer Care Center in Pasadena, CA
At Pasadena CyberKnife, we have one, simple mission: help our patients beat cancer through world-class radiation therapy and treatment. As a leading Pasadena cancer center, we offer a wide range of treatments for nearly any cancerous condition – and we can even treat certain noncancerous conditions like arteriovenous malformations. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with an AVM, we’re here to help.
What Is Arteriovenous Malformation?
An arteriovenous malformation, commonly called an AVM, is a snarled tangle of veins and that connect veins and arteries directly, bypassing the network of capillaries through which blood normally flows. These abnormal connections between the blood vessels can cause blood to pool, growing the AVM and increasing the risk of a hemorrhage (bleed). AVMs are normally a congenital condition, which means they exist from birth. AVMs can form anywhere in the body, but they’re common – and most problematic – in the brain.
What Problems Can AVMs Cause?
Many patients have an AVM their whole life without receiving treatment and never even know it. So long as the AVM doesn’t grow significantly, cause a blood clot, or bleed, it may be harmless for someone’s entire life. However, if a brain AVM bleeds, it can cause serious problems and may even prove fatal. If an AVM does bleed, it may cause a host of problems, including:
- Focal Seizures: This is a seizure affecting only a specific part of the brain. Patients may experience a focal seizure as abnormal muscle contractions, changes in vision, seeing or smelling something that is not there, or a range of other symptoms that most people wouldn’t identify as a “seizure.”
- Generalized Seizures: These affect the entire brain and are easier to recognize as a seizure. Generalized seizures usually induce loss of consciousness and cause violent, repetitive muscle contractions, often affecting the entire body.
- Pain: Patients may experience localized pain in the area of the AVM.
- Functional Disability: Some patients experience problems with vision, hearing, balance, coordination, or muscle movements.
In serious cases, AVMs can be life-threatening, so prompt treatment is critical. Thankfully, we can often use noninvasive methods like CyberKnife to treat an AVM, allowing for a convenient, nonsurgical treatment plan.
Contact Your Los Angeles Radiation Therapy Center
AVMs can be dangerous, but with a quality treatment team like the one at Pasadena CyberKnife, you can eliminate the danger of a bleed. Call us today at (626) 768-1021 if you or someone you love has been diagnosed with an AVM. We’ll work with you to create a customized, convenient treatment plan and help you return to a normal, healthy lifestyle.