Miami, December 16th, 2013 – Jorge Martinez Badia, as usual, woke up early. He works at a school where he helps children cross the street in the morning and in the afternoon. It seems like it was such a long time ago that it is hard for him to remember when it happened. He got a sharp pain in his arm, which made it necessary for him to visit his primary care physician. He was prescribed ibuprofen to relieve the pain of the suspected arthritis that seemed to be progressing because of age. After he ran out of his prescription, the pain abruptly returned. The doctor suggested a chest x-ray. As Jorge waited to get tests done, out of nowhere at work, he started coughing up blood. Frightened, he immediately went to the ER of the nearest hospital.

After several tests, including a “capsule endoscopy” (whereby one swallows a small camera that takes pictures of your digestive system) and a “fine needle aspiration biopsy” of the lungs (where cells are removed from the affected organ to be analyzed), Martinez Badia was diagnosed with lung cancer. The second test had come back as “positive”.

“Cigarette consumption is the highest risk factor, and is the cause of 22% of global deaths from cancer in general, and 71% of global deaths from lung cancer” affirms Dr. Beatriz Amendola – who designed the treatment for Mr. Martinez Badia. “You can’t also forget the genetic factors. If a patient has family history with lung cancer, he or she should ask a doctor to get specific check ups for early detection.” – finalizes Dr. Amendola.

Jorge Martinez Badia is grateful to Dr. Amendola, for the treatment he received at the Innovative Cancer Institute in South Miami. Today, 3 years later Mr. Badia is free of disease and he has been able to reassume his daily life and work activities. He appreciates having had access to the latest technology in radiation, which allowed ICI to treat only the affected tissue assuring a faster and more effective recovery without side effects.

Dr. Beatriz Amendola is a world renowned Radio-Oncologist who educates colleagues all over the world. She states that the improved advances in technology  are cost- effective, providing the best treatment possible to the patients.

Beatriz Amendola, M.D., F.A.C.R., FASTRO is Board Certified in Therapeutic Radiology by the American Board of Radiology.  She completed her residency in Radiation Oncology at the Medical College of Virginia, in Richmond, Virginia in 1980.  Dr. Amendola was an Assistant and then Associate Professor at the Department of Radiation Oncology of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She was Acting Chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology for four years. In 1985, she moved to Philadelphia where she was Director of Residency Training in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Hahnemann University. In 1989, she moved to Miami, FL where she was appointed Associate Professor and Director of Residency Training at the University of Miami, Department of Radiation Oncology.

Currently, Dr. Amendola has an independent practice in Radiation Oncology, and she has privileges at multiple South Florida hospitals. She is a member of many professional medical societies in USA, Europe, and Latin America. In 1999, she was awarded the Fellowship from the American College of Radiology and in 2009 the Fellowship of the American Society of Radiation Therapy and Oncology (ASTRO). She serves on several national and international cancer committees. Dr. Amendola has written 56 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and 12 book chapters. She has extensive experience in the use of radiation therapy for cancer as well as the use of radiation for the treatment of benign diseases. Her main areas of expertise include breast cancer, prostate cancer, brain tumors, head and neck cancer, and pediatric radiation therapy. She has extensive experience in radiosurgery using Gamma Knife and CyberKnife.

For more information or to make your appointment call the Innovative Cancer Center at 305- 669- 6833 or email [email protected] or visit www.innovativecancer.com