J. Scott Bowen, M.D. Rebecca Middleton
(425) 251-5183 (206) 310-1178
jbowen@vrads.com
Renton, WA--While evaluating the next step in his medical career as his fellowship at Northwestern University neared completion, Siddharth Padia, M.D., who joins the Renton-based medical imaging practice Valley Radiologists this month, had three considerations in mind.
Most important was the desire to practice where his specialty in interventional oncology--which offers some of the most advanced and precise cancer treatments available--would make a difference.
But he also wanted to live where he could continue to pursue his passions for windsurfing, hiking, and other outdoor activities, and where he and his wife could enjoy the diversity of culture--and cuisine--to which they had grown accustomed in Chicago.
"It didn't take long to realize that Valley Radiologists had everything I was looking for," said Padia.
"I could see immediately that the physicians were committed to minimally invasive alternatives to conventional surgery. It was also clear that interventional oncology would complement existing interventional services by offering cancer treatments that, to my knowledge, are entirely new to the region. And we'd get to live in Seattle--if you want both a vibrant urban culture and challenging outdoor recreation nearby, you can't do much better."
Dr. Padia learned to windsurf on the Chesapeake Bay during his first summer in Baltimore as a student at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The son of an international-
"Seeing top-notch care in Europe really widened my medical horizons," he said, "especially in terms of how technology can improve quality of life through more precise treatments that reduce side effects."
Never one to shy away from challenges, personal or professional, Dr. Padia chose a medical specialty so advanced that it was described only two years ago by Internal Medicine News as a "fledgling field" that showed great promise in targeting cancers precisely with radioactive material, radiofrequency energy, or chemotherapy agents. Applications in which he specializes include radioembolization, chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation, and microwave ablation.
Primarily for treatment of liver tumors, radioembolization uses a real-time angiogram (x-ray of blood vessels) to guide a catheter into selected branches of the hepatic artery (a major blood vessel supplying the liver) to deploy radioactive particles precisely to tumors.
"It's a relatively new, highly effective procedure, with low side effects," said Dr. Padia. "The bulk of my training and experience with radioembolization has come in the past year."
Like radioembolization, chemoembolization is an angiogram-guided treatment. But chemoembolization attacks liver tumors with chemotherapy drugs.
"Chemoembolization allows us to administer higher doses than conventional chemotherapy,"
Radiofrequency ablation is effective for treating some cancers of the liver, kidney, and lungs. Small probes are inserted through the skin, directly into tumor tissue, which is then destroyed by heat from the electromagnetic energy of radio waves.
In microwave ablation, an electrode, typically guided by ultrasound, is placed directly into liver tumors to administer an ultra-high-speed electrical field that destroys cancer cells.
Padia will incorporate other promising treatment modalities such as electroporation when they become clinically available.
He stressed that all of these procedures are complements to the full spectrum of cancer therapies, and should be integrated into a comprehensive treatment plan developed collaboratively with the patient's full medical team. This includes the primary care physician, as well as medical and surgical oncologists.
"I view my role as providing options that allow patients with a chronic illness to go home sooner and spend less time in hospitals, which can really improve their quality of life," he said. "That's what drew me to interventional oncology."
Dr. Padia's interventional oncology training will be an important enhancement to the full range of interventional radiology services offered by Valley Radiologists, which include treatments for conditions ranging from spinal fractures to uterine fibroids and other types of tumors.
"We're delighted to welcome Dr. Padia to our practice," said J. Scott Bowen, M.D., of the vascular interventional radiology team at Valley Radiologists. "He has particular skills and experience that will enhance our ability to provide superb imaging guided interventional and minimally invasive procedures to the Valley and Auburn Regional Medical Centers' service areas."
