What you love and hate...
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 02/03/2011 01:02:00 AM PST
I love ...
... the Diablo Valley Oncology Group in Pleasant Hill. My doctor J.J., all of the doctors, nurses and the entire staff are remarkable -- especially "my" Megan! I think they must be angels in disguise. How else to explain the level of care, compassion and humor they give on a daily basis? No one looks forward to chemo. but I look at my "visits" as a blessing. I am so grateful to have these wonderful people in my life.
-- Linda Spring, Brentwood
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Volunteers Needed for Cancer Center
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
GPS for the Body is Here!
Diablo Valley Oncology at the California Cancer and Research Institute of Pleasant Hill is the first and only cancer treatment center in the East Bay offering cancer patients the breakthrough benefits of real-time tumor tracking during external beam radiation with the Calypso System. This highly advanced technology—also referred to as “GPS for the Body”—may lead to reduced side-effects by enabling physicians to more accurately deliver radiation to the tumor while minimizing exposure to the healthy tissue and organs surrounding the prostate.
The Calypso System, with its GPS for the Body technology, utilizes miniature implanted transponders (grain of rice size) to provide precise, continuous information on the location of the tumor during external beam radiation therapy. Any movement by the patient, including internal movement of the tumor, may cause the therapeutic radiation treatment to miss its intended target and hit adjacent healthy tissue. In contrast to ionizing tumor targeting methods which cannot track a target in real-time, the Calypso System provides real-time tumor position information, thereby allowing physicians to deliver radiation directly to the tumor while sparing surrounding healthy organs from radiation exposure. Currently the Calypso System is cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for use in radiation therapy for the prostate and prostatic bed; however, the technology is designed for body-wide applications and studies are underway using it in other locations in the body.
“We are committed to providing our patients with state-of-the-art treatments that maintain or improve quality of life,” said Sachin Kamath, M.D., radiation oncologist and medical director at Diablo Valley Oncology Radiation Center. “Like many of the organs in our body, the prostate gland is constantly moving. With the precision targeting provided by the Calypso System, extremely accurate radiation can be delivered directly to the tumor while minimizing the risk of any harmful effects on normal tissues. By doing so, we are likely to reduce side-effects.”
In May, a clinical study published in Urology demonstrated that prostate cancer patients who were treated with radiation and monitored with the Calypso System reported significantly reduced side effects like diarrhea, urinary irritation, and erectile dysfunction than those whose radiation was not complemented by Calypso.
“Radiation therapy has been getting better and better throughout my career, but this really represents an additional improvement for patients getting radiation therapy today, even when compared to just a couple years ago,” says Dr. Kamath
The Calypso System, with its GPS for the Body technology, utilizes miniature implanted transponders (grain of rice size) to provide precise, continuous information on the location of the tumor during external beam radiation therapy. Any movement by the patient, including internal movement of the tumor, may cause the therapeutic radiation treatment to miss its intended target and hit adjacent healthy tissue. In contrast to ionizing tumor targeting methods which cannot track a target in real-time, the Calypso System provides real-time tumor position information, thereby allowing physicians to deliver radiation directly to the tumor while sparing surrounding healthy organs from radiation exposure. Currently the Calypso System is cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for use in radiation therapy for the prostate and prostatic bed; however, the technology is designed for body-wide applications and studies are underway using it in other locations in the body.
“We are committed to providing our patients with state-of-the-art treatments that maintain or improve quality of life,” said Sachin Kamath, M.D., radiation oncologist and medical director at Diablo Valley Oncology Radiation Center. “Like many of the organs in our body, the prostate gland is constantly moving. With the precision targeting provided by the Calypso System, extremely accurate radiation can be delivered directly to the tumor while minimizing the risk of any harmful effects on normal tissues. By doing so, we are likely to reduce side-effects.”
In May, a clinical study published in Urology demonstrated that prostate cancer patients who were treated with radiation and monitored with the Calypso System reported significantly reduced side effects like diarrhea, urinary irritation, and erectile dysfunction than those whose radiation was not complemented by Calypso.
“Radiation therapy has been getting better and better throughout my career, but this really represents an additional improvement for patients getting radiation therapy today, even when compared to just a couple years ago,” says Dr. Kamath
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
MRI Up and Running
September 2010 we added magnetic resonance to our imaging department. The MRI system has a state-of-the art computer assisted detection system to diagnose breast cancers for high risk patients with family history of breast cancer. Adding MRI to the imaging capabilities of the California Care Imaging Center makes them leaders in providing full service ceancer imaging and detection services in Northern California.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Free Talk: Putting the Brakes on Bone Loss
Gigi Chen, MD - Diablo Valley Oncology/Hematology Medical Group specialist will give this education seminar designed to help maintain good health and awareness as we age. Osteopenia, osteoporosis and new treatment options available will be discussed. Come and learn more about bone mineral density testing and why it is important. Question and answer session to follow.
At the Stratford at Countrywood, 1545 Pleasant Hill Road, Lafayette, CA 94549
September 16th, 1-2pm, Refreshments served. No Charge
RSVP: 925-932-9910
At the Stratford at Countrywood, 1545 Pleasant Hill Road, Lafayette, CA 94549
September 16th, 1-2pm, Refreshments served. No Charge
RSVP: 925-932-9910
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Support our Relay for Life Team
Come on out on Saturday, August 14 to walk a lap or two at the Pleasant Hill Relay for Life, Pleasant Hill Middle School. Event begins with a big opening ceremony at 9am. Dr. Johl will speak, a survivor and others, then off the survivors go walking a lap to kick off this 24 hour event that raises money for cancer research and the American Cancer Society. Here is the schedule of events.....
9am Opening Ceremony RFL committee/survivor chair
9:30am Survivor's Lap Cancer Survivors
9:45am Parade of Teams teams walk together
9:30am-12 noon facepainting
10am Belly Dancer performance
10:45am exercise class UFC Gym
11:30am Musical Chairs Lap
12 noon Lunch Kinders and Smokin' Okies
12-1pm make sand art wax candles Miller Time
1-4pm Live Music DVC Band
4pm Crazy Hat lap
4:15pm Limbo Contest Miller Time
5pm Anything but walk lap
6pm Dinner Tahoe Joes
6-6:30 pm Live Music Hello Evening- Nisan Perera
9pm Luminaria Ceremony Luminaria Chair- Casey Mounday
11pm midnight snack pizza and coffee
Sunday
7am Pancake Breakfast Pleasant Hill Lions Club
7:30am Bed Head lap Theme lap
8am light breakfast bagels and coffee
8:30am Fight Back ceremony RFL committee/Fight Back Chair
9am Fight Back Lap everyone
9am Opening Ceremony RFL committee/survivor chair
9:30am Survivor's Lap Cancer Survivors
9:45am Parade of Teams teams walk together
9:30am-12 noon facepainting
10am Belly Dancer performance
10:45am exercise class UFC Gym
11:30am Musical Chairs Lap
12 noon Lunch Kinders and Smokin' Okies
12-1pm make sand art wax candles Miller Time
1-4pm Live Music DVC Band
4pm Crazy Hat lap
4:15pm Limbo Contest Miller Time
5pm Anything but walk lap
6pm Dinner Tahoe Joes
6-6:30 pm Live Music Hello Evening- Nisan Perera
9pm Luminaria Ceremony Luminaria Chair- Casey Mounday
11pm midnight snack pizza and coffee
Sunday
7am Pancake Breakfast Pleasant Hill Lions Club
7:30am Bed Head lap Theme lap
8am light breakfast bagels and coffee
8:30am Fight Back ceremony RFL committee/Fight Back Chair
9am Fight Back Lap everyone
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
DOCUMENT SHREDDING FUNDRAISER FOR CANCER
Saturday, August 7 from 9am - 11am. We are holding the first ANNUAL "document shredding fundraiser" in the parking lot of our building - the California Cancer & Research Institute - located at 400 Taylor Blvd in Pleasant Hill CA. Get your confidential documents shredded, donate to a cancer support group , and help our planet..... all at the same time. All proceeds to benefit the Wellness Community.
$20 for FIRST box, $5 for each additional box. (Standard record size storage/banker box) Come one - come all....tell your friends, family, and neighbors! For more information call 925-677-5041.
$20 for FIRST box, $5 for each additional box. (Standard record size storage/banker box) Come one - come all....tell your friends, family, and neighbors! For more information call 925-677-5041.
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