Dr. Gordon Grado
Phyllis Ketring
March’s Health Night Out features an oncologist of international renown.
Dr. Gordon Grado completed his training in therapeutic radiology/oncology at the University of Chicago and Mayo Clinic Rochester. After receiving his board certification and practicing in the Midwest, he came to Arizona to head the then new Radiation Oncology Department at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale. He established a new program for the treatment of prostate cancer while chairman of the Radiation Oncology Department of Mayo Clinic Scottsdale.
After leaving Mayo Clinic, he founded Southwest Oncology, which has four centers in Arizona and two in the Midwest. Dr. Grado’s presentation at Health Night Out will focus on the treatment of prostate cancer. Conventional radiation can be delivered from only a few directions. TomoTherapy can be delivered continuously from all angles.
Dr. Grado pioneered the use of ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance to place “seeds” of tiny radioactive sources directly into the prostate, while supplementing with external beam radiation. TomoTherapy is now being used in other cancers when targeting the tumor and protecting the surrounding tissue is essential.
Dr. Grado holds academic appointments at several institutions, including Mayo Clinic, the National Cancer Institute in Mexico, and the University of Minnesota School of Medicine. He served on the governor’s task force for prostate cancer and is a fellow of the American College of Radiation Oncology. He serves on the board of Adelante Healthcare and has formed centers to support cancer care in the under-funded and uninsured community. He and his wife, Mary, have developed and supported cancer treatment centers in Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and China. Recently, they helped fund and start a nursing scholarship program at Eastern Illinois University.
Southwest Oncology, led by Dr. Grado, has a team of physicians, nurses, physicists, and administrative people who use a family-centered approach in the care of cancer patients. They believe that technology is not sufficient in itself. Southwest Oncology doctors have a combined experience of 100 years in radiation therapy.
SaddleBrooke Health Night Out is pleased to host Dr. Gordon Grado on Monday, March 28, at 7 p.m. in the MountainView Ballroom. Health Night Out offers a unique opportunity to meet and learn from highly skilled local doctors and practitioners about a variety of health issues.
The MountainView Bar and Grill is open on Monday night, so you can enjoy dinner and then join the group down the hall in the ballroom.