WALNUT CREEK, April 1, 2023: Soheila Azghadi, MD, is a radiation oncologist, trained to treat all cancers, with a focus on women's health and on breast and gynecological cancer. Her research in breast, gynecological, and genitourinary cancers has received both national and international recognition.
Dr. Azghadi joined BASS Cancer Center in August 2022, and now finds herself exactly where she wants to be, as Lead of the BASS Cancer Center Radiation Oncology Department's Women's Health Program, which she built from the ground up.
"I chose BASS because I wanted to practice at a community cancer center where teams of doctors and medical professionals have access to advanced care technologies and where the approach to health care is patient-centered, where patients have access to academic level treatments—the best care—at a community cancer center near their home," says Dr. Azghadi.
Joining BASS also gave Dr. Azghadi the opportunity to build and launch the distinctive BASS Cancer Center Women’s Health Program.
She developed the Breast Health component in collaboration with breast surgical oncologist Danielle Bertoni, MD, and the Gynecological Health component, which was greatly advanced with the installation of the hi-tech and most up-to-date version of the HDR machine—high dose radiation—enabling oncologists to treat very complex cases of cancer with precision accuracy.
Radiation is delivered in two ways: using an external beam, delivered from outside the body and focused on a target; and internal radiation, delivered with pinpoint accuracy, affecting only the cancerous area and sparing other organs surrounding the diseased part.
Because internal radiation delivery is a hands-on procedure, training is extensive and, according to Dr. Azghadi, who is trained in the use of internal radiation, the therapy is underutilized. She was thankful, therefore, to be able to add the highly effective therapy to BASS Cancer Center's treatment options, a complement to external beam radiation and other treatment modalities.
"There is great collaboration at BASS among our surgical, medical, and radiation oncology departments. We work together on behalf of patients, providing collaborative plans and treatments—treating cancer patients holistically and providing the highest level of critical cancer care to patients in one location.
"From our staff to our technicians, and front desk to physicians, we work as one team to take care of our patients. We know the diagnosis of cancer is overwhelming for our patients, and we don’t want them dealing with anything else besides their treatment. That’s our mission."
Written by The Shadelands Scene
April 2023
