After receiving treatment for a common but painful condition back in 2011,
Racinda Young’s family doctor advised her to go to the hospital
if her pain continued.
Still experiencing the same pain, Racinda took her doctor’s advice
and went to the Emergency Department. Upon examination, the physician
on duty discovered evidence of a more serious condition and she was then
sent to Wake Forest Baptist Health. It was there that a rare metastatic
neuroendocrine tumor was found in a lymph node where her gallbladder was
before it was removed.
Until earlier this year, treatment for tumors like this involved drugs
with uncomfortable side effects like night sweats, diarrhea and flushing.
Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC), however, introduced her to a new
drug called Lutathera, a breakthrough medicine that emits a small amount
of radioactivity to fight cancer.
“The use of Lutathera is nothing short of a cancer breakthrough,”
said Len Hurst, CVMC’s director of
radiation oncology. “Previously there were treatments that could help to keep cancerous
neuroendocrine tumors under control, but nothing could completely get
rid of them – until now. As the only hospital in the region to offer
Lutathera, we have the expertise to offer patients like Racinda this advanced
treatment close to home, near her support network, without travelling
long distances outside the area.”
Racinda, who lives in Hickory, is the first patient at CVMC to receive
this treatment – and with remarkable results. Her symptoms have
largely diminished, and she is now moving positively toward remission.
“I was thrilled to be the first for this promising new treatment,”
said Racinda. “Initially, the doctors at other hospitals were reluctant
to give me the drug but thanks to Dr. John Peterson and Dr. John delCharco
I was able to begin treatment here at CVMC and get back to living my life.”
As the first in the area to achieve status as a
Comprehensive Cancer Center from the American College of Surgeons, CVMC offers an outstanding continuum
of care that offers leading-edge diagnoses and treatments for cancers
to help patients like Racinda return to a fulfilling life after cancer.
Visit us online to learn more about Lutathera and all of the cancer services available
to you right here, close to home.