Toledo Clinic Cancer Centers’ (TCCC) strong commitment to providing comprehensive, collaborative care, the group of dedicated, compassionate providers recently expanded to include rheumatologist Amrita Padda, MD.
Dr. Padda works closely with TCCC’s oncologists to identify and manage adverse autoimmune conditions that can stem from cancer immunotherapy, as well as to help ensure cancer patients with pre-existing autoimmune diseases get appropriate care for those conditions in addition to any cancer treatments. Simply put, Dr. Padda will help TCCC address the growing overlap in care needs between the fields of oncology and rheumatology.
According to Dr. Padda, many people are unsure what rheumatologists do or think of them primarily as “arthritis doctors.” However, the role they play in medicine extends far beyond that. She explains, “We treat a wide variety of diseases and disorders, including osteoarthritis, which is the degenerative form of the disease, and osteoporosis, the thinning of bone as we age that increases the risk of fractures. However, the vast majority of the diseases we treat are autoimmune disorders, which occur when the immune system gets confused and actually attacks the body. The most common of these is rheumatoid arthritis—when the immune system attacks the joints—but we also treat conditions such as psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus, sarcoidosis, and even autoimmune disorders of the eye, such as uveitis and scleritis. The only autoimmune diseases rheumatologists don’t treat are neurological ones, such as multiple sclerosis, which are treated by a neurologist.”
A rheumatologist’s job demands significant collaboration with other specialists as well, Dr. Padda notes. For example, when treating patients with autoimmune eye disorders, interstitial lung disease, or autoimmune kidney disease, the rheumatologist must work closely with their ophthalmologist, pulmonologist, or nephrologist, respectively. And, of course, effectively treating cancer patients who experience immune-related side effects demands close cooperation with their oncologist.
Why are cancer patients who undergo immunotherapy vulnerable to developing autoimmune diseases? Dr. Padda elucidates, “Immunotherapy, which is a truly groundbreaking approach to treatment, revs up the patient’s immune system to fight cancer. However, in addition to killing the cancer, the ramped-up immune system can also attack healthy organs and joints, causing adverse autoimmune side-effects.”
Joining the TCCC team is somewhat of a homecoming for Dr. Padda. She went to medical school at The University of Toledo, where TCCC oncologists Dr. Rex Mowat and Dr. Tim Kasunic were among her teachers. Both of her parents worked for The Toledo Clinic as well. In fact, Dr. Padda almost became an oncologist, as her sister did, but she ultimately chose to pursue rheumatology. “After I became a rheumatologist, Drs. Mowat and Kasunic reached out to me and asked if I’d like to join their team. Of course, I was honored to accept,” she says.
Dr. Padda describes her philosophy of care succinctly: “Number one, I listen to patients closely and empathize with them so I understand exactly what they’re going through. Then I conduct a thorough investigation of the patient. Finally, once I’ve gathered all the relevant data and information, I work in cooperation with the patient to develop an individualized care plan. I believe patient involvement in care planning is essential since they’re the ones who have to implement the plan.”
Dr. Padda also enjoys educating patients on the impact lifestyle choices can have on many of the diseases she treats, essentially promoting an “anti-inflammatory lifestyle.” She states, “I like to talk with all my patients about food, exercise, sleep, and relaxation as forms of medicine. Adopting healthier lifestyle habits can minimize the medications we need to put them on, which in turn reduces the likelihood that they’ll experience adverse side-effects.”
Looking forward, Dr. Padda is hopeful that ongoing research will yield more therapies that are effective in combatting autoimmune diseases and other rheumatological conditions. She’s especially hopeful about research that is currently underway on precision medicine in the realm of rheumatology, which will make it possible to tailor treatments to the individual patient. “Precision medicine will allow us to perform a blood test or joint biopsy to determine which form of treatment will most likely benefit the patient,” she says.
The Toledo Clinic Cancer Centers, located at 1200 Medical Center Parkway in Maumee and 4126 N. Holland Sylvania Road, Suite 105 in Toledo, also provides imaging, laboratory, chemotherapy, specialized pharmacy, and IV services. The cancer center consists of 14 physicians, now including a rheumatologist, as well as 11 advanced practice providers. The cancer center also has satellite centers in Napoleon, Bowling Green, Wauseon, Bellevue, Oregon, and Monroe.
For more information, please call The Toledo Clinic Cancer Centers at 419-4795605.
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