Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/551105
3 0 | PULSE S u m m e r 2 0 1 5 here is nothing quite so terrifying as hearing the word "cancer" come out of a doctor's mouth. Cancer is personal. It takes an emotional, spiritual, psychological and financial toll. It affects friends, family and loved ones. But mostly cancer triggers fear like little else. Many find strength to fight through their fear as they find a path to recovery. Fieen years ago I lost a dear college friend to an aggressive form of breast cancer that she'd been battling since she was 20. Had she developed it today, she likely would have survived. at's the good news. Technolog y and treatments keep improving and getting more fine- tuned and individualized. Chemo and radiation no longer pack as huge a wallop as they once did. Physicians from varying disciplines are now working together seamlessly to create personalized care programs for patients. No cancer case is ever treated just like another. Research and clinical trials are revealing a new host of medicines that are better tolerated and more successful for a variety of cancers. And just as comforting is the additional support available for cancer patients—from support groups to meditation and yoga classes to nutritional counseling and even assistance with hair and makeup. e Hunt Cancer Institute at Torrance Memorial Medical Center, fully accredited as a comprehensive cancer program by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, is a clear leader in these advancements in targeted treatments, technolog y, research and applying a 360-degree approach to cancer care. Torrance Memorial physicians who specialize in cancer treatment predict that someday a cancer diagnosis will not be considered fatal but instead 100% treatable—if not curable. In fact, most say they see this happening within their—or their children's—lifetimes. Why is this? Because standard cancer treatments are evolving rapidly, creating a paradigm shi into therapies that are less toxic and with fewer side effects, creating a better quality of life for the patient and faster healing. Just ask omas Wood. In June, the 71-year-old from Rancho Palos Verdes went home two days aer surgery to remove cancer in his right upper lung and lymph node. "I felt little pain. Very little. I took a Tylenol, but that was it. A week later, I'm out shopping for a new range for our kitchen. It's amazing," says Wood, who witnessed his father battle lung cancer. "I lost my dad to lung cancer at 55 years old in 1952. If he'd been going through it today, he could have beat it." is type of quick recovery— especially at an advanced age and aer receiving several rounds of chemo and radiation in the months prior to surgery—would not have been possible just 20 years ago, according to Wood's physician, Clark B. Fuller, MD, a thoracic and cardiothoracic surgeon who helped pioneer minimally invasive video-assisted techniques in thoracic surgery. ese techniques allow small incisions to be made instead of large ones and utilize the aid of a camera, as well as precise robotic equipment. "In the mid-1990s, most patients [undergoing similar surgeries] were in the hospital 10 to 12 days," Dr. Fuller explains. It took longer to heal back then, as surgeries involved much larger incisions—oen spreading the rib cage apart. is approach required more pain relief and anesthesia management as well, increasing risk. Dr. Fuller now teaches his minimally invasive technique to physicians across the country. "Instead of a big incision with ribs spread apart, these are all incisions 5 to 15 millimeters long. We're able to do the exact same operation a bit better with less pain for the patient and a much faster recovery period." When patients are in pain, their bodies—at any age and any level of fitness—will have a harder time tolerating further treatments, due to a lack in strength. "So if they need additional chemo and radiation, they are more likely to tolerate it since they didn't have to undergo pain from such a big cut. In fact, patients are 50% more likely to complete "IT TAKES A FACILITY THAT HAS A HIGH VOLUME OF PATIENT CARE TO HAVE EXPERTISE TO TREAT SOMEONE LIKE THIS. THAT IS WHAT SETS TORRANCE MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER AND CANCER CARE APART FROM OTHER FACILITIES." Illustrations from shutterstock.com and 123rf.com