Oncology Therapies of Vista announce
Cancer Care Advancement with Cyberknife

For 15 years, the doctors at Oncology Therapies of Vista (OTV) have provided patients with the latest technological advancements in radiation oncology. Dr. Eva Lean founded the practice in 1992 and since that time, OTV has grown to include six radiation oncologists who are widely recognized in the field of radiation therapy. Maintaining the highest commitment to patient care available, the physicians at Oncology Therapies of Vista have, as a group, the most comprehensive radiation oncology and radiosurgery experience in the area. Everyone at Oncology Therapies of Vista OTV is dedicated to improving the health care of cancer patients through treatments that provide the most current radiological technologies available for cancer treatment.

Dr. Lean was born in Poland. A great admirer of Madame Curie, the famous pioneer of radioactivity who was also born in Poland, she decided to specialize in radiation science, which is why she joined the radiation oncology program at the University of Southern California. Dr. Lean has served as Medical Director of Radiation Oncology services of Tri-City Medical Center since 1991, and is currently the 1st Vice President for the Tri-City Hospital Foundation (TCHF). She is also a member of the California Division Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society, and this year’s Chairperson for the Border Sierra Region of the American Cancer Society.

The doctors of OTV are focused on providing a wide range of solutions for their patients, including the most technologically sophisticated radiosurgical techniques available. Their new office, called Cyberknife of Southern California at Vista, will work in cooperation with Tri City Medical Center and is expected to start treating patients in January 2008. According to Dr. Patrick Linson, a Harvard educated and trained physician specializing in the treatment of brain, lung and prostate cancers and now the Medical Director of Cyberknife of Southern California at Vista, Cyberknife is a new robotic accelerator that is able to deliver a targeted dose of radiation to cancerous tumors that are not treatable with medication or surgery. Unlike other radiosurgical devices, which are used only for brain tumors, Cyberknife can be used for the treatment of tumors throughout the body, including those involving the brain, lung, spine, kidney, liver and prostate. Cyberknife also provides a comfortable and painless treatment experience for patients.

Dr. Lean and her colleague Dr. Anuradha Koka, a former Cleveland Clinic radiation oncologist, both have a strong interest in the treatment of breast cancer. Dr. Koka has introduced the use of Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI) to OTV using Mammosite and SAVI devices. The treatment, which is usually painless and lasts only five working days, may offer, for some patients, a possible alternative to other more traditional radiation treatments.
Another modern technology, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy or IMRT, allows doctors to more precisely tailor a patient’s treatment dose to match the target tumor, while sparing the surrounding normal tissues. There are other exciting new treatments coming to OTV soon, including IGRT (Image-guided Radiation Therapy) in January 2008.

In addition to pursuing cutting-edge technologies, the medical team at OTV is also focused on providing the best care possible for their patients. According to Irene Doti, a marketing consultant for Practice Builders, “After years of working with physicians, the doctors at this facility stand out to me for their compassion and the way they deal with their patients and the patients' families.”

It is important to everyone at Oncology Therapies of Vista to make patient treatments as comfortable and safe as possible. Along with six dedicated physicians specializing in radiation oncology, notably Dr. David Hodgens, who has more experience with Radiosurgery than any other physician in the county, and Dr. Kenneth T. Shimizu, who is also very experienced with radiosurgical techniques, there is a full team of medical professionals to help patients through their therapies. For more information on Oncology Therapies of Vista or Cyberknife of Southern California at Vista, go to www.onctherapies.com or call 760-599-9545.