Patricia Gordon MD (Harvard ’78, UCLA School of Medicine ’82, Cedars-Sinai Internship ’84) has been a radiation oncologist for 28 years. For many years she was a partner at Beverly Hills Radiation Oncology, and served on the medical team at Beverly Hills Cancer Center. In August, 2014, she formally retired from clinical practice to lead CureCervicalCancer into the future.
Her commitment to saving women’s lives in the developing world has brought her to a second career as a non-profit leader and medical activist. Using the “See and Treat” method, she founded CureCervicalCancer, which trains local healthcare professionals to screen and treat women for precervical cancer. The organization has established dozens of sustainable CureCervicalCancer clinics in Africa, Central America, Haiti, and Southeast Asia – where help is needed most.
“I have learned first-hand that high-tech solutions aren’t necessarily the best way to solve medical problems in low-resource countries. Often simple low-tech solutions, such as cryotherapy for pre-malignant cervical lesions, work more efficiently and effectively. This low-cost cryotherapy technique is an effective tool for cervical cancer prevention. We are making life-saving differences for thousands of women and hope to widen our impact to potentially save millions. Cervical cancer kills nearly 500,000 women per year in the developing world and is the leading cause of cancer related death for women. Yet with early detection, “See and Treat,” none of these women need die. CureCervicalCancer’s goal is to industrialize “See and Treat,” the simple, yet elegant, technique, worldwide using our “Clinic in a Suitcase” model. The slow progression of pre-malignant cervical lesions to frank cervical cancer often takes 5-10 years, and this is where CCC comes in. This pre-malignant condition is 90% preventable with this simple technique.”
“When the CCC team establishes a clinic, the equipment and locally trained professionals remain in place to continue the fight against cervical cancer for years to come. Our sustainable “Clinic in a Suitcase” model requires monthly reporting to measure outcomes, target successes, and assess where help is needed most. I am committed to leading CureCervicalCancer into the future, and have dedicated my life to overcoming the tragic and needless epidemic of cervical cancer.”