Dr. Scott Ramsey - Primary Care Provider

Cancer Prevention Clinic – where patients get the straight story based on science

As a primary care provider, Dr. Scott Ramsey has seen physicians’ clinical practice time become more constrained and the demands upon them pile higher and higher. Time with patients has been spun to smaller and smaller increments so there is little time left for providing the type of medical attention focused on prevention and screening for diseases like cancer.

“The time has come for us to have places in medicine outside of acute care,” says Ramsey. “Cancer is the most feared disease, so it’s a good place to start.”

And with that thought, and the backing of a few key people at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the Cancer Prevention Clinic at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance was born.

“This clinic is a place for patients to learn about their personal risk for cancer and how to reduce that risk,” he says. “Patients will get the most leading-edge preventive screenings to detect cancer at its earliest most preventable stage and have the opportunity to participate in clinical trials.”

As a health economist, Ramsey says that screenings are cost-effective and under used. “Everyone is at risk for cancer, but our hope is to reduce your odds of dying from cancer.”

The Cancer Prevention Clinic isn’t here to scare people, Ramsey says. “We want to convey a positive message that no one person’s risk is fixed.”

Ramsey tells his patients that a visit to the cancer prevention clinic is a much better experience than a prevention clinic that people already visit regularly: the dentist.

“If you’re between 30 and 50 or 60 years old, changing your lifestyle and adopting healthy habits can pay off,” he says. “And the side benefits of things we do in this clinic are good for preventing stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.”

To read more about Dr. Ramsey’s medical training and research interests, click here.

To see an interview with Dr. Ramsey, click here.

 

December 2006