St. Joseph’s Medical Center Completes 500th Liver Cancer Treatment Procedure

Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Medical Center (SJMC)  has reached the milestone of completing 500 advanced liver cancer treatment procedures, known as Yttrium-90 (Y90), led by Dr. Pavan Khanna, Chair and Medical Director, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology.

Dr. Khanna started the liver cancer treatment program at SJMC in July 2017, making it the first hospital in the Central Valley to offer the procedure. Over the past five years, Dr. Khanna’s team has performed more advanced liver cancer treatment procedures than any other community hospital on the West Coast, ranking it as one of the top treatment centers in the country.

“I am honored to have performed the 500th Y90 treatment at St. Joseph’s Medical Center,” said Interventional Radiologist Dr. Pavan Khanna. “Since the creation of our program, we have been able to effectively manage and treat many patients in the community, and achieve curative results in many cases. The outcomes for our patients in the community, in addition to awareness about liver cancer, have tremendously improved as a result.”

Individuals at risk for liver cancer include those with a history of prolonged alcohol abuse, patients with liver scarring or damage, and patients with hepatitis B and C. Candidates for the procedure include patients with liver cancer who are not candidates for surgery or prefer minimally invasive treatment options. Individuals should talk with their doctor if they experience pain, fullness or bloating under the lower ribs, loss of appetite, and weight loss, with any of the above risk factors.

SJMC’s Interventional Radiology treatments offer lower risks, less pain, and shorter recovery time compared to open surgery. For more information, please visit dignityhealth.org/stockton/ir.