However, even at a top liver radiation therapy center in Phoenix there is a possibility of some negative side effects. Therefore, to help people who may find themselves in the role of caregivers for family members or friends who are undergoing radiation therapy for their cancers, in this article we’ll discuss ways you can help.

What are some of the common side effects of radiation therapy, and how can I help?

First, it is important for both patient and caregivers to understand that radiation therapy is usually targeted at one specific part of the body, so side effects may vary widely depending on the area being treated. For example, movies and TV shows often portray all cancer patients as if losing their hair was inevitable, but in reality that may not be true. What IS true is that many people undergoing radiation therapy experience fatigue, skin problems, and dietary problems.

• How to help with fatigue. If you are a caregiver for someone whose radiation therapy is causing them to feel fatigue, understand that it’s not just physical fatigue they are experiencing. They are also likely to feel mentally and emotionally tired, and as a result may find it difficult to “think as clearly” as they are used to, or may find themselves prone to depression and emotional mood swings that they cannot control. What you can do is help them to balance their need for rest (which can be greater than usual) with the need for some kind of healthy exercise to combat their fatigue. You should talk with their doctor to find out what types of exercise are OK, and then help them to perform them. You can help, even if it’s just accompanying them on a walk.
• How to help with skin problems. If your loved one has developed skin problems, try to help them avoid rubbing, scratching, or using adhesive bandages on the affected areas. Be vigilant to make sure that any laundry detergents you use to wash their clothes aren’t aggravating the problem. And if your loved ones want to enjoy the sun, check with their doctor to see if sunscreen is advised, and then go with the doctor’s recommendation to protect skin which may be more sensitive than usual.
• How to help with dietary issues. If your loved one is undergoing radiation to the stomach, head, or neck area, they may occasionally feel too fatigued or nauseated to eat and drink as usual. In such cases, try to encourage them to eat smaller meals or snacks throughout the day and stay hydrated.

Should I as caregiver be concerned about being affected by radiation?

We mention this because it is often a question that caregivers ask us in our roles as interventional oncology specialists in Phoenix. Patients receiving external radiation therapy are exposed only during treatment, but if they are receiving systemic radiation therapy, you may want to avoid physical contact with the patient’s skin and bodily fluids for a few days after each treatment.

Where do I go if I need to learn more about how to provide care?  

There are many online resources provided by groups such as the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org), but if you live in the Phoenix area, you can also ask the professionals at one of the best cancer treatment centers in Phoenix at Comprehensive Interventional Care Centers at 888-377-7122. We’ll be happy to answer your questions and help you to provide as much comfort and support to your loved ones as possible. At Comprehensive Interventional Care Centers, we believe in 100% patient-oriented care, and that includes working with patients’ families to help get them the loving care they need at home, as well as the loving care we provide them when they are in our offices in one of the best cancer center in Phoenix.

The post A Cancer Therapy Center in Phoenix Explains How to Help a Family Member Who Is Undergoing Radiation Therapy appeared first on Comprehensive Integrated Care.

The minimally-invasive treatments provided by the best interventional radiology doctors in Phoenix thus have a strong place in the overall treatment of cancer. Even when surgery presents the best chances for a cure, IR treatments such as chemoembolization or tumor ablation may be employed to shrink tumors or stop their growth before surgery. Because systemic chemotherapy does not have a strong history of curing liver cancer when used as a standalone therapy, IR used in conjunction with other therapies can often improve the chances of a cure, as well as providing palliative relief and improving patients’ quality of life.

What types of interventional radiology therapies are used to treat cancer?

IR therapies are often a strong part of “liver-directed” therapies in which the tumors themselves are treated locally. Percutaneous ablation therapy, for example, is often used to treat small HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma) tumors by using CT or ultrasound scans to guide a catheter to the location of the tumor and then using heat (radiofrequency ablation), cold (cryoablation), or chemicals (percutaneous ethanol installation) to destroy them. Ablation is a good choice in these cases because it limits the treatment to the area of the tumors, sparing the rest of the liver. The minimally-invasive nature of the procedure is also easier on the patients, who can often go home the same day. Tumors of the liver can also be attacked directly via embolization, to deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to the tumor and/or to block blood flow to the tumors and shrink them by depriving them of oxygen and nutrients. For details on these procedures, see the Cancer Care section of our website, where we describe certain techniques.

IR therapies are also used to treat side effects of cancer

Another interventional radiology procedure called TIPSS (Transjugular Intrahepatic Porto-Systemic Shunt) is often used to treat portal hypertension, a condition that often afflicts patients with liver cancer. It is used to re-establish proper blood flow to the liver when it has become obstructed.

Pain management is often a big part of treating cancer as well, and several IR treatments provided by Comprehensive Interventional Care Centers have helped to make our facilities one of the best pain management centers in Phoenix. Minimally-invasive IR therapies can reduce patient pain by delivering epidural spinal injections, facet injections, and selective nerve root blocks, and a procedure called kyphoplasty can also help to reverse pain caused by cancer-caused bone degeneration.

Cancer Care

Your interventional radiologist is an integral member of the team helping to fight your cancer

The interventional radiologists at Comprehensive Interventional Care Centers pride themselves on working closely with patients and their doctors. Together we determine the best and most effective treatments to fight your cancer, and then each of us provides our specialized treatments. So if you are being treated for cancer, make sure your oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, and other health care providers are familiar with our website at www.ciccenters.com and know what makes us one of the best cancer facilities in Phoenix.

The post Experts from one of the Best Cancer Facilities in Phoenix Explain the Role of Interventional Radiology in Modern Cancer Treatment appeared first on Comprehensive Integrated Care.

Increasingly, among the most important members of any cancer-fighting medical team are its interventional radiologists. These specialists – especially the best interventional radiology doctors in Phoenix who created Comprehensive Interventional Care Centers – have spent many years becoming experts in the use of visualization technologies such as X-ray, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Diagnostic radiologists use these technologies to detect cancer, but interventional radiologists also use them to treat cancer, using minimally-invasive surgical procedures that have many advantages for the patient.

What are the advantages of interventional radiology (IR) cancer treatment?

In many cases, invasive surgery and systemic chemotherapy still present the best hope for a cure of many cancers. But any surgery that requires deep incisions and general anesthesia always introduces an element of risk for the patient, and systemic (intravenous) chemotherapy has a number of side effects.

Interventional radiology avoids these risks because of its minimally-invasive nature. Instead of accessing the areas to be operated on via incisions, IR specialists access them by inserting a tiny needle or catheter into a vein or artery and guiding it into place with visualization technology. Once in place, the catheter can be used to apply heat (via radiofrequency or laser energy), cold (cryotherapy), or chemicals (chemotherapy) directly to the tumors being treated. This has the advantage of isolating the effects of the chemotherapy or radiation to the area of the tumor itself, with little effect on surrounding tissues.

At the same time, IR procedures have many advantages for patients, because they can be treated as outpatients, often going home from the facility the same day. Also, when treating liver cancer in Phoenix with IR techniques, less recovery time is necessary, so it is possible to integrate IR treatment with other more traditional types of treatment.

If this is true, why aren’t all cancers treated with IR therapies?

Not all tumors are amenable to direct interventional radiology treatment. Also, as noted earlier, there are some cancers for which surgery or systemic chemotherapy present the best hope for a complete cure. However, even in these cases there are many instances in which IR treatments are used in conjunction with surgery and systemic chemotherapy to destroy small tumors, or to shrink large ones in preparation for surgery. So some of the best liver cancer doctors in Phoenix view this not as a “replacement” for other cancer therapies, but as “another tool in the treatment arsenal,” another way to give each cancer patient the best chance for a cure.

Working hand in hand with other specialists, Comprehensive Interventional Care Center’s interventional radiologists have helped to create the best cancer treatment center in Phoenix. If you are being treated for cancer, make sure your oncologist, surgeons, and other health care providers are familiar with our website and the specialized skillsets of our highly-trained physicians. Or call us directly at 888-377-7122 and we’ll do our best to answer any questions you might have about interventional radiology and the advantages it brings to cancer treatment.

The post The Best Liver Cancer Doctors in Phoenix Discuss the Advantages of Interventional Radiology vs. More Invasive Treatments appeared first on Comprehensive Integrated Care.

For us, this is an important area of medical specialization that is all too often underrepresented. So focusing on conditions that specifically affect women was a necessity and a calling to fill for such specialization.

Since IR procedures are less intrusive than traditional surgeries, requiring fewer and smaller incisions, less anesthesia, and much less recovery time, we are easily matched in our particular area of expertise as interventional radiologists to address many of the health problems that affect women.

What types of women’s health treatments do some of the best interventional radiology doctors in Phoenix specialize in?

One important area of women’s health care that we specialize in is the treatment of infertility, in particular the inability to conceive caused by blockages of the Fallopian tubes. This condition can often be corrected with a minimally-invasive IR procedure called fallopian tube recanalization, which allows us doctors to increase pregnancy rates by up to 33%.

Another important women’s health area in which our IR skills have been valuable is the treatment of uterine fibroids. These non-cancerous growths, which develop in the wall of the uterus, can cause many unpleasant symptoms, including heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, and swelling of the abdomen. A minimally-invasive IR procedure that we specialize in called Uterine Artery Embolization and can be quite effective in closing the abnormal veins that give rise to these fibroids, and thus in eliminating the pain and discomfort they cause. At this point, we are considered some of the most respected physicians offering uterine fibroid treatment options in Phoenix.

And finally, we specialize in treating a condition that affects an estimated one-third of all American women, Pelvic Congestion Syndrome, also known as Chronic Pelvic Venous Disorders. CPVD is caused by swollen blood vessels (varices) that develop in the ovarian veins or other pelvic areas, which can cause chronic pelvic pain, vaginal discharge, abnormal menstrual bleeding, irritable bladder, and other uncomfortable symptoms. Fortunately, CPVD can be effectively treated with a non-surgical, minimally-invasive procedure to embolize (block) the blood vessels that feed these veins.

At CiC, we are proud of our contributions to women’s health

If you suffer from any of the conditions mentioned above, please give us a call at 888-377-7122 and make an appointment to come in and see us. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.

The post Some of the Best Interventional Radiology Doctors in Phoenix Explain Their Interest In Treating Women’s Health Issues appeared first on Comprehensive Integrated Care.