For your health: symposium emphasizes cancer treatment options

Cancer treatment is a collective effort, and the Wilson Medical Center in connection with the Duke Cancer Network recently offered an annual oncology symposium in the Wilson Country Club. This year's topic “Updates in breast and lung cancer for the non-cologist” brought together community providers and other medical specialists to discuss and inform the latest screenings, surgical techniques and pharmacological treatments for cancer.

Dr. Keith Lerro, hematologist/oncologist at the Regional Medical Oncology Center in Wilson, spoke about “Bis -specific antibodies: a new class of medication that uses the immune system to combat cancer”. Bispecific or bispecific antibodies are a kind of technical antibody that can also bind to two different antigens or destinations. Dr. Lerro and Dr. Andre Dixon can prescribe and administer biston -specific antibodies in the Regional Medical Oncology Center in Wilson.

In breast cancer, which is currently the second most common cause of death for cancer deaths, it is recommended that women at the age of 40 begin the mammogram screening. Dr. Jordan Sheely, General surgeon at North Carolina Surgery, Unc Health in Wilson, spoke about new techniques for breast cancer treatments.

Wilson Medical Centers' recent purchase of radio frequency frequency frequency (RFID) is used in breast biopsy procedures to improve the accuracy, reduce invasiveness and the localization-especially for non-pallable breast lesions that are difficult to recognize by touching. The Wilson Medical Center in cooperation with North Carolina Surgery, Unc Health, expected to implement the RFID technology next month.

The Wilson Medical Center has a growing cancer program with current technology. Dr. Margaret Metts, radiation oncologist in Wilson radiation oncology, uses large doses of radiation therapy to eliminate cancer cells and reduce tumors. The radiation is directed towards the affected area and minimizes the damage to the surrounding skin and tissue. The Wilson radiation Oncology recently recorded the SGRT system (identification of varian's identification surface-guided radiation therapy), which has a quick, precise movement management during the submission of a variety of treatments, techniques, including linear accelerator-based stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic body therapy (SBRT) and breathing operator.

Dr. Metts, Dr. Binav Shrestha (Pulmonologist, Wilson Pulmonary Associates), Dr. Sayeed Hossain (Wilson Pulmonary Associates) and I will play a role with the Duke Cancer Network to start a lung node clinic in the Wilson Medical Center. The purpose of the clinic is to recognize earlier detection, identification of lung nodes and the prevention of lung cancer.

Dr. James Davis, practicing doctor for internal medicine and medical director of the Smoke Cessation Program at the Duke Cancer Institute, said the symposium that 51% of smokers die from smoking. Pulmonologists from the Wilson Medical Center and other community providers can now refer patients to the program for smoking cessation.

The Wilson Medical Center offers a number of supportive cancer supply, including, but not limited to cancer patient navigation, physical rehabilitation of cancer, chemotherapy, clinical research, genetic tests, radiation, social work, surgery and therapeutic advice.

We have a two-month cancer support group, which is led by the patient navigator Lisa Herndon.

The Wilson Medical Center will organize a celebration of life on Thursday, June 19, at 5:30 p.m. in cooperation with regional medical oncology in the auditorium of the hospital. We look forward to investing in our cancer treatment resources. It is our goal to meet the specific cancer needs of the Wilson community – right here in Wilson.

Leighanna Martin is director of oncology services at the Wilson Medical Center.