CONVENIENT INFUSION THERAPY
AS A RESULT
of continuing advancements in can-
cer treatments, cancer patients are living longer than
ever before. However, containing and managing pain-
ful metastatic tumors remains an issue in many cases.
When cancer spreads to the skeleton, bone is often
eaten away, causing severe pain, fracture of the verte-
brae and instability that may significantly impact the
ability to perform daily activities. Studies have shown
that this is a common problem in late-stage cancer
patients, with 30 to 40 percent likely developing meta-
static spinal tumors.
“In some cases, back pain is the initial reason pa-
tients visit their doctor or go to the ER,” says Srinath
Samudrala, MD,
medical direc-
tor of the Spine
Institute at Glen-
dale Adventist
Medical Center.
“Then they dis-
cover the source
of their back
pain is a spinal
tumor from a
previously un-
known cancer.”
Recognizing
that this pain has
an impact on cancer patients’ quality of life, GAMC
is one of the first facilities in Southern California to
offer a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure that
offers rapid and lasting pain relief from pain caused
by spinal tumors.
“While chemotherapy and radiation treatment
work to contain the tumor, we offer patients a pain
relief approach, helping them regain their quality of
life,” says Dr. Samudrala.
Radiofrequency ablation has been successfully
used to treat cancerous tumors of the liver, lung and
elsewhere in the body for years, but the ability to
safely and effectively deliver this treatment to the
spine has only recently developed. Known as the
STAR procedure, or targeted radiofrequency ablation
(t-RFA), the treatment uses high-frequency electri-
cal energy to heat and destroy the tumor. The entire
procedure can be performed in about an hour in an
outpatient setting.
“The STAR procedure provides significant pain
relief and does not disrupt chemotherapy or radiation
treatment,” says Dr. Samudrala. “Additionally, it does
not rule out any needed future treatments.”
We l l n e s s
Srinath Samudrala, MD
Medical Director
Spine Institute at Glendale
Adventist Medical Center
RELIEVING PAIN FROM SPINAL TUMORS
If you or a loved
one is su ering from
back pain caused by
spine tumors, ask your
oncologist if the STAR
procedure could be
right for you. Scan the QR code to watch a
patient story. To make an appointment at
GAMC’s Spine Institute, call ( )
-
.
UNTIL THE 1980S,
infusion therapy, or the adminis-
tration of medication through a needle, IV or catheter,
required a patient to stay in the hospital for the duration
of their treatment. Today, advancements in how medica-
tions are delivered have allowed patients to be treated in
a much more convenient outpatient setting.
The outpatient Infusion Center at Glendale Adventist
Medical Center (GAMC) provides treatment for many dis-
eases and conditions requiring infusion therapy, including
cancer and cancer-related pain, dehydration, infections,
congestive heart failure, hemophilia, immune deficien-
cies and more. Additionally, infusion therapy at GAMC is
provided in a peaceful atmosphere with nurses specially
trained in administering these types of medications.
The Infusion Center at GAMC is located in
the Cancer Center, with free, convenient
parking and easy access. To learn more, call
( )
-
.
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