San Diego Radiosurgery Shares Tips on Reducing Risk of Pancreatic Cancer
ESCONDIDO, Calif. (PRWEB) October 31, 2013 -- November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and Escondido-based San Diego Radiosurgery is raising awareness by sharing tips on reducing the risk of the disease. Often detected at an advanced stage, pancreatic cancer is expected to take the lives of more than 4,000 Californians this year.
San Diego Radiosurgery medical director Dr. Brian Volpp recommends these steps to reducing the risk of diagnosis:
• Decrease or stop smoking. The American Cancer Society reports that cigarette smoking is responsible for 20 to 30 percent of pancreatic cancers especially those diagnosed at earlier ages.
• Get active. Overweight or obese people have a greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Results of studies linking physical activity and pancreatic cancer are mixed, but an active lifestyle can contribute to maintaining overall health.
• Talk with your doctor. Pancreatic cancer rarely displays symptoms until the cancer has advanced and spread throughout the body. Patients with a family history of pancreatic cancer or other risk factors should consult with their doctor to determine if genetic testing or other monitoring is necessary.
For patients who may be facing a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, stereotactic body radiation therapy using Novalis Tx® technology can be a treatment option. During treatment, high doses of radiation are delivered to the tumor with sub-millimeter accuracy. A tumor is treated in five or fewer sessions and patients typically experience few to no side effects following treatment.
As an added benefit, the Novalis Tx is able to track tumors in real time during treatment and adjust for patient movements, like breathing. The precision of the treatment minimizes radiation exposure to healthy surrounding tissue.
“San Diego Radiosurgery offers an important option to help pancreatic cancer patients control and manage the spread of their disease,” Dr. Volpp said. “Novalis Tx technology is being used to treat a growing number of conditions, and we hope to continue expanding its applications.
San Diego Radiosurgery is a service of Palomar Health Downtown Campus and is located at 555 East Valley Parkway in Escondido, Calif. For more information, call (760) 739-3835.
Leslie Farrell, San Diego Radiosurgery, http://www.sdradiosurgery.com, (760) 739-3835, [email protected]
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