Screen Early and Screen Often

Cancer statistics are unsurprisingly scary. On average one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. One in 23 men and one in 25 women will develop colorectal cancer. Unfortunately, statistics aren’t much better for prostate and lung cancers. Though the statistics are frightening, Dr. Harry Moyses, of Valor Oncology, says there’s a silver lining.

Dr. Moyses has dedicated his life to the fight against cancer and has spent his 36 years in medicine working to provide aid to those afflicted with the disease. “Since I started practicing, we’ve seen an increase in breast and lung cancer.” Dr. Moyses says, “It’s true for most of oncology. However, the good news is that we can catch these cancers significantly earlier these days. As a result of early screenings, we can catch cancers and treat them earlier when they’re still curable rather than fatal. Thankfully, lung cancer rates have been dropping due to a decrease in smoking, and survival rates have been increasing due to CT scans and screenings catching lung cancer earlier than ever before. It still exists, but outcomes are significantly better than when I started in medicine.”

Born in New Jersey, Dr. Moyses relocated with his family to Mexico City, before moving to Los Angeles, at the age of 10. He grew up interested in medicine and found his way to Harvard for undergraduate studies before choosing USC as his final stop for medical school and residency. “Medicine always just seemed like a great profession.” Dr. Moyses said, “I went through my rotations during my first year of medical school and liked oncology a lot. It didn’t take long for me to decide it was the right specialty for me.”

Dr. Moyses moved to Florida to practice medicine as he had some family in the area, but he always wanted to move back to California. When the time was right he did just that, electing to work near his mother in Southern California. “I always had my eye on Northern California though, specifically the Chico area.” Dr. Moyses said, “Oncology is a small profession, and by nature, you tend to know others in it. I looked at oncologists in the area and found Dr. Lomas and Dr. Stickney. They offered me a professional hosting so I came out to meet with them, and I thought they were great guys with a fantastic practice at Valor Oncology. I moved out here in January and have been Valor’s radiation oncologist ever since.”

Dr. Moyses sees 20-30 patients per week, predominantly treating breast, prostate, lung, rectal, and skin cancers as well as head and neck lymphomas using the latest technology. As a radiation oncologist, he has not only seen a change in how early people get screenings but also a drastic change in technology since he began practicing medicine. “Newer technologies have allowed us to focus in on tumors with incredible precision.” Dr. Moyses said, “That precision has increased our ability to control them and decrease side effects considerably. Modulated radiotherapy, conebeam image guidance, multileaf collimators, and new computer technology have provided giant leaps in radiation oncology. They allow us to deliver radiation to the area that needs it in a more definitive and refined way than ever before.”

Baseline screenings for prostate or breast cancers are recommended at age 40, whereas colonoscopies are recommended starting at age 50. Dr. Moyses recommends starting earlier, even up to 10 years earlier, if there’s a family history of these cancers. “Screen early and screen often for all of these.” Dr. Moyses advises, “We want to catch these things as early as possible so we can provide the best possible outcome. We hope to provide the best possible service to the community and those who need us, and it all starts with proper screening.”

If you’re in the age window mentioned above, have a family history of cancer or have been diagnosed with cancer, call Valor Oncology at (530) 691-5920. Catching cancer early is the key to effective treatment and with doctors like Dr. Moyses at the helm, you can trust you’re in good hands.