Lung Cancer & Interventional Radiology |
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 Sarasota Interventional Radiology |
| Interventional Radiologist Dr. Gerald Grubbs |
| Lung Cancer: An Overview |
| Signs of Lung Cancer |
| What to Expect During Treatment |
| Diagnosing Lung Cancer |
| » Needle Biopsy |
| » Large Core Needle Biopsy |
| » Fine Needle Aspiration |
| Minimally Invasive Lung Cancer Treatments |
| » Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) |
| » Cryoablation |
| » Laser Therapy |
| Cancer Treatments On the Horizon |
| » Magnetic Chemotherapy |
| » Gene Therapy |
| » Developing Treatments |
| Contact Us |
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Interventional Radiology Offer New HopeThe rapidly growing
specialty of Interventional Radiologyoffers those with
lung cancer new minimally invasiveapproaches for diagnosis and treatment that hold the promise of less pain, quicker recoveries and a better quality of life. |
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Sarasota Interventional Radiology
Interventional radiology is the surgeryof the 21st century and it is revolutionizing modern health care by changing the way we treat a host of conditions.
Cancer is just one example. Interventional radiology treats it as a chronic condition; something you live with, not something you die from. So our goal at Sarasota Interventional Radiology is to get your cancer under control and put it in remission. If your tumors start to grow again, we can often perform additional procedures to eradicate them and reset your clock – your tumors – to zero. And in the process restore your quality of life.
Our
lung cancer treatment programis generally less costly and time-consuming than traditional surgical treatments. And happily, most patients usually experience less pain and shorter recovery periods. And the technology we have at the office allows us to provide you with immediate answers to your critical questions.
We believe in treating the whole person at Sarasota Interventional Radiology. We understand how difficult battling this disease can be. That’s why you and your family can count on our support through every step of the process, from providing critical information to making sure you’re comfortable when you receive treatment.
Our office will be happy to try to accommodate any special needs you may have and will inform you of any special preparations you need to make before your appointment. |
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Interventional Radiologist Dr. Gerald GrubbsA native of Tennessee, Dr. Gerald Grubbs attended college and medical school there before going on to complete his residency at the University of Tennessee in Diagnostic Radiology.
Excited at how the new field of interventional radiology was revolutionizing minimally invasive surgery – and by the benefits it held for patients – the doctor took a Fellowship in Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology at the Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute at the Baptist Hospital of Miami. It was there he learned the basics of many of the procedures he’s now performing. In 1993, after completing his Fellowship, Dr. Grubbs received his Board Certification in Interventional Radiology from the American Board of Radiology.
The following year, Dr, Grubbs moved to the Suncoast and joined Naples Radiologists, P.A. doing Diagnostic as well as Vascular and Interventional Radiology. In 2006 he opened his own practice, Sarasota Interventional Radiology. Here he brings his skills in imaging, his procedural expertise, his experience in research and his clinical practice to offer minimally invasive diagnostics and treatments for patients whose conditions would have once required open surgery.
The author of numerous articles and a noted lecturer, Dr. Grubbs lives with his wife and two children in Osprey.
Learn more about Dr. Grubbs background and experience |
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Lung Cancer Information: An OverviewFYI: Some facts about lung cancer:
- Lung cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in the world
- In the United States, approximately 175,000 are diagnosed each year - accounting for about 13% of all new cancer cases.
- More than 150,000 Americans die each year from lung cancer.
- Lung Cancer accounts for nearly 30% of all cancer deaths.
- Lung cancer kills more men than prostate cancer and more women than breast cancer.
- Lung Cancer is increasing rapidly among women.
- African-American men are 40% more likely than white men to develop lung cancer.
- More Americans die from lung cancer than prostate, breast and colorectal cancers combined.
- 85 – 95% of all lung cancers are smoking related.
It’s info on lung cancer you need to know. Surgery is the only lung cancer cure. Unfortunately, by the time it becomes symptomatic, 85% of those with the disease are incurable because of other health problems or poor respiratory function. For these patients, minimally invasive interventional radiological lung cancer treatments can help to reduce pain and improve the quality of life. |
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Lung Cancer SymptomsThe lungs are the most common site of primary cancer in the world, and smoking is the leading risk factor. The effects of lung cancer can be devastating, so be aware of the symptoms and contact the doctor your doctor immediately if you exhibit them.
- Constant coughing
- Persistent chest pain
- Shortness of breath and wheezing
- Coughing up blood
- Hoarseness
- Swelling of the face and neck
- Loss of appetite and weight
- Constant fatigue
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What to Expect During TreatmentYour comfort is of primary concern to all of us at Sarasota Interventional Radiology. We understand that this can be a difficult time and treatment – even non-invasive treatment – can be stressful. That’s why we want you to know what you can expect during your visits with us. The better informed you are, the more comfortable you’ll be. Of course, if you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll be happy to address any concerns you have. |
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Your 1st AppointmentLocated in a serene setting on Cattleman near University just east of US 75, Sarasota Interventional Radiology is located on the first floor of the new Axcess Center.
We suggest arriving about 15 minutes before your appointment. You’ll be greeted by one of our two patient advocates. Highly trained and compassionate, these advocates will collect all your pertinent information and work with your insurance company.
You’ll then have a consultation with Dr. Grubbs, where he will review your medical history and discuss your planned course of treatment, taking you through the process step by step so you are informed and aware.
Before leaving the office, you’ll receive written instructions on how to prepare for your treatment |
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The Night Before Your ProcedureWe suggest arriving about 15 minutes before your appointment. You’ll be greeted by one of our two patient advocates. Highly trained and compassionate, these advocates will collect all your pertinent information and work with your insurance company.
You’ll then have a consultation with Dr. Grubbs, where he will review your medical history and discuss your planned course of treatment, taking you through the process step by step so you are informed and aware.
Before leaving the office, you’ll receive written instructions on how to prepare for your treatment. |
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The Night Before Your ProcedureHere’s what you need to do the night before to prepare for your procedure. It’s important you follow these instructions carefully, or it will be necessary to cancel your treatment that day. More importantly, failure to follow these instructions could be dangerous.
- Have nothing to eat or drink for at least 6 hours prior to your procedure.
- Take all of your normal medications before 8am with only one ounce of water. Do not take anything else or we will have to cancel your treatment that day.
- Bring a list of all your current medications and the doses you are taking.
- If you have an inhaler at home, you must bring it with you when you come in for your procedure.
- If you are a diabetic, start your medication once you resume your diet.
- If you are a diabetic taking insulin, wait until you have eaten to use your insulin.
- You cannot drive after your procedure for the remainder of the day. You must make arrangements to have someone drive you home.
- Please leave all your valuables at home. You won’t need them.
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The Day of TreatmentA nurse and board-certified anesthesiologist will prep you for your treatment. You’ll be administered what is called “conscious sedation”, which will allow you to wake up right away after your procedure – another of the benefits of minimally invasive treatment. Of course, in the extremely rare circumstance of complications occurring, Dr. Grubbs is always available. |
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After Treatment |
Discharge instructions will vary, depending on the procedure you had. It is essential you follow these instructions carefully.
In the days following your procedure, you may feel a degree of tenderness at the site where the catheter entered. This is perfectly normal. Generally there is little or no bleeding around the site and the tenderness will pass. If there the tenderness continues, if there is bleeding or excessive oozing from the site, call us, or your referring physician, immediately. |
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Diagnosing Lung CancerBlood tests, X-rays, CT scans, MIRs and ultrasound can all be used in the diagnosis of lung cancer. Ultimately however, only a biopsy can provide a definitive diagnosis. By examining a sample of tissue, a Pathologist can determine whether cancer is present and how fast it’s growing, and which of the stages of lung cancer you are in, all crucial information to determining the best course of treatment.
Using minimally invasive interventional radiology techniques, Dr. Grubbs is able to perform Needle and Large core needle biopsies in his office. |
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Needle Biopsy This procedure is performed with the aid of computer-generated images that provide Dr. Grubbs with a look at the area to be biopsied from a variety of angles. This “stereotactic” equipment provides pictures of unprecedented clarity, enabling the doctor to pinpoint with unerring accuracy the exact location of any abnormal tissue.
Usually an outpatient procedure, this diagnostic tool offers a number of benefits:
- None of the pain, scarring or complications associated with invasive surgery.
- A quicker recovery for a quicker return to normal activities.
- Complications are infrequent; less than 1% of patients develop bleeding or infection.
- For most patients, a needle biopsy provides enough tissue for diagnosis.
- With advanced image guidance, the biopsy can be performed without threat to surrounding organs and blood vessels.
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Large Core Needle BiopsyThis technique uses a special needle to obtain a larger sample of tissue. Often used to examine lumps and other abnormalities in the lungs, a large core biopsy offers an alternative to open surgery that is:
- Less painful
- Quicker recovery
- Avoids the scarring and disfigurement
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Fine Needle Aspiration Also used to biopsy a suspected cancer, this technique also helps in the diagnosis of fluids that may have collected in the body. | |
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Minimally Invasive Breast Cancer TreatmentWhile the best chance of a cure is the surgical removal of tumors, Interventional radiology offers those patients that may not tolerate surgery because of other medical conditions a minimally invasive alternative. Indeed, the National Cancer Institute says, “targeted cancer therapies give doctors a better way to tailor cancer treatment.”
Interventional radiology’s breakthrough techniques make it possible to attack tumors from inside the body using a catheter to deliver targeted treatments with the precision of a smart bomb, leaving healthy tissue unaffected.
As an interventional radiologist, Dr. Grubbs is uniquely skilled at using a catheter to deliver treatments to specially targeted areas of the body. Called Thermal Ablation, these treatments use heat or cold to attack the cancer. Among the thermal ablation procedures used by Dr. Grubbs are: |
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Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)By using advanced imaging technology to guide a small needle through the skin and into the tumor, Dr. Grubbs is able to transmit radiofrequency energy into the target. There it produces heat that shrinks or kills the tumor, while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. By decreasing the size of the tumor and treating new tumors as they develop, RFA can help relieve pain and other debilitating symptoms.
For someone living with inoperable lung cancer, RFA can extend and provide a better quality of life by. Among its many other benefits:
- RFA can be used to treat both primary lung cancer as well as tumors that have spread from other parts of the body
- It can be combined with other treatments
- Depending on your comfort level, it can be done under conscious sedation or a general anesthesia.
- Most patients can resume normal activity the next day and may only feel a bit tired for a few days.
- If needed, RFA treatments can be repeated.
- Relieves pain and the suffering that accompanies it.
- It only requires a short hospital stay.
- It has few complications.
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CryoablationSimilar in delivery technique to RFA, Cryoablation uses an extremely cold gas to freeze and destroy the tumor. While surgeons have used this procedure in the operating room for years, needles are now small enough to be used through a nick in the skin, without surgery. An “ice ball” is created around the needle that freezes and destroys the tumor. |
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ChemoembolizationThis treatment uses the vascular system to deliver high doses of chemotherapy drugs directly into the tumor’s blood supply in order to starve it. Because it’s delivered directly into the tumor it does little damage to the surrounding healthy tissue.
While chemoembolization has shown promising results, it is a palliative treatment, not a cure. | |
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New Cancer Treatments Hold Promise for the FutureInterventional Radiologists like Dr. Gerald Grubbs are playing a critical role in developing minimally invasive surgical techniques for treating cancer that are not only extending life, they are providing a higher quality of life. |
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Magnetic ChemotherapyUsing magnets to pull chemotherapy drugs directly into tumors to bolster their effect is a treatment currently being investigated by researchers. Early research is promising and the hope is that the treatment will intensify the effects of chemotherapy, while avoiding some of the more difficult side effects such as nausea and hair loss that accompany it. |
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Gene TherapyAs researchers’ work with and gain a greater understanding of genes and the role they play in disease, the greater promise gene- based drug therapies hold as a treatment option in the not too distant future.
Though still in the experimental stage, doctors hope the therapy will be used in the future to:
- Alter the cells of the immune system with cancer fighting genes.
- Take cancer cells from the body, alter them genetically and letting the patient’s immune system battle the cancer.
- Replace a “bad” cancer gene with a “good” gene.
- Make tumors more susceptible to chemotherapy by injecting them with genes.
- Make bone marrow and other organs resistant to chemotherapy, so that the drugs will destroy tumors without damaging the healthy tissue that surrounds them.
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Developing TreatmentsOther cutting edge developments for cancer treatment include:
- Epidermal Growth Factor Inhibitors designed to slow the growth of the Epidermal growth factor receptor that XXXXX.
- Anti-angiogenesis treatments are the use of drug therapies to reduce blood vessel growth for cancer.
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