Cancer Center rôle described
The Cancer Center of Santa Barbara hosted a luncheon March 6 to
acquaint doctors, attorneys and media about what the organization does for
cancer patients and the community at large.
Rick Scott, president of the center, spoke to about 20 guests,
outlining the goals of his organization and what it has accomplished in the
past. The luncheon was one of a series Scott schedules from time to time in an
effort to explain the activities and programs the center maintains.
“We want to get the word out about the Cancer Center, what our
purpose is, and where we’re going,” Scott said. The luncheon took place at the
center’s building at 540 Pueblo Street, one of three Cancer Center offices
maintained in that block, which is near Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
Scott gave a brief account of the founding of the center, in 1949,
by the late Elisha Converse. The philanthropist wanted to establish a cancer
treatment facility after his wife, Lillian, died of the disease.
At the founding, Converse purchased a one-million-volt x-ray
machine, used to attack malignant tumors while sparing surrounding healthy
tissues. “Before the Cancer Center,” Scott said, “Patients had to go to L.A.
every day to receive treatment.”
From that small beginning, the Cancer Center has grown to its
present size and complexity.
Within the three buildings it now occupies, the Center provides
treatment options including:
• Radiation oncology, using linear accelerators and other state-of-the-art
equipment, with a team of nurses and Drs. Tom Weisenburger, Lindsay Blount and
George Cheng administering the therapy.
• Hematology-medical oncology, with physicians, including Drs.
Fred Kass, Thomas Woliver and Dan Greenwald, and nurses administering
chemotherapy, cancer management and counseling. Also part of this team is Dr.
Donna Walker, who treats chemotherapy patients in Solvang.
• Nuclear medicine, in which one physician and a team of
technologists perform scans to diagnose tumors and other abnormalities.
Scott pointed out that during 2007, the Cancer Center treated more
than 4,000 patients while also providing support groups and other social
services. A major part of the organization is dedicated to wellness services,
which offer education in stopping tobacco use, eating correctly and exercising.
Medical practitioners have come to recognize, Scott said, that
exercise is vital for general health and well-being. “No matter what else you
do, exercise can only enhance what you’re doing,” he said.
He also emphasized how crucial early detection is to the outcome
of cancer cases.
“There is an 88.1 percent survival rate of breast cancer when it’s
detected early,” he said. Early detection also has a 90 percent survival rate
for colon cancer and a 100 percent survival rate for prostrate cancer, he
pointed out.
A majority of patients and/or their health insurers pay for their
treatment at the Cancer Center, he said. But pro bono services provide care for
those who cannot pay.
In describing the benefits of present-day technology, Scott used
actual x-ray photos of tumors to show in detail how pin-pointed x-ray blasts
can go directly to the tumor, destroying it while not touching adjoining
healthy tissues.
Diagnosis has also enjoyed significant improvement in recent
years. Some cancers are DNA-specific, and can be discovered using the newest
DNA technology. There are also advanced techniques, such as computer aided
tomography and positive emission tomography scans that show budding tumors.
Even the newest in cardiac examinations can find evidence of new tumors.
Future goals for the Center include building a single facility to
consolidate the services it now provides in three separate buildings. The
organization also plans to continue working closely with Cottage Hospital and
Sansum Clinic, the two major health providers in the community.
Throughout its
future growth, the Cancer Center will continue to “help patients go through it,”
Scott said.