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Dr. Avi Deshmukh —
Gaining Ground In The Fight Against Cancer
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n artist and a practicing physician, Dr. Avi Deshmukh
of North Central Texas Urology decided early in life
that he wanted to help people by becoming a doctor.
“A medical degree and surgical skill development
became my goals at the age of 16 years old,” he said. He
received his medical degree at 18 and became a surgeon
at 26. He has continued to hone his craft since then
through internships and residencies in Ohio as well as
fellowships in Germany and Washington, DC. He also
served as a US Air Force Flight Surgeon for eight years and
earned the rank of lieutenant colonel. While in the mili-
tary, he was Chief of Urology and Regional Consultant,
Sheppard AFB; Chief of Urology, Carswell Hospital; and
Instructor for Combat Medicine and Ballistic Injuries. He
has shown his enthusiasm for learning by continuing his
education, having earned an MBA and a Masters of Health
Care Administration in recent years.
“Even now, after 30 or more years of practice, I am a
ceaseless student of urology, studying every day and deliv-
ering what is latest-in-the-field treatment to my patients,”
he said.
He became a urologist because of the challenge.
“Urology involves great understanding of human anatomy,
physiology, organ diseases, and new development in treat-
ments and technologies,” Deshmukh said.
Each day he is busy seeing patients and working long
hours to give them the best care possible in his North
Central Texas Urology clinics in Weatherford, Mineral
Wells, Granbury, Glen Rose, and Stephenville. Treating
prostate, urinary, bladder, kidney, and testis cancers is a
large part of his practice.
“I emphasize on diagnosis of cancers looking into the
extent and spread of cancers. Most of all I pride myself
in teaching about the diagnosis of cancer with alternative
treatment strategies using recent concepts and develop-
ments in the field,” he explained.
As most cancer doctors will say, the best advice to
prevent cancer is education and screenings for those over
the age of 50. “Realization of common cancers like pros-
tate cancers, kidney cancers and testis cancers in young
men is of importance to me as a urologist. The incidence
of cancers is increasing in North America, as well as in
the rest of the world. In America next year, there will be
11 million Americans diagnosed with different cancers,”
Deshmukh said.
As a urologist, he encourages patients to seek help if
they notice blood in their urine, have abdominal pain,
urinary difficulties, loss of
weight, or have a family
history of cancers occur-
ring on the prostate,
kidney or testis. “Physical
examinations, imaging
studies like CAT scans,
MRIs, ultrasound exami-
nation and biopsies are
widely utilized to make
cancer diagnoses. Routine
physicals by physicians
to assess health status
are very useful to rule
out common cancers.
Early cancer diagnosis
is stressed by doctors hoping to treat common cancers
earlier than later. Developments in molecular biology and
genomic studies are offering new horizons for cancer diag-
nosis and treatments,” he continued.
He counts many successes in his more than three
decades of serving his patients. One in particular that
stands out was a 65-year-old man who was suffering with
pain in his bladder and blood in his urine. Dr. Deshmukh
performed extensive testing and found that the patient
had cancer in his bladder, prostate and lung simultane-
ously. The patient was treated for his bladder cancer
and had surgery to remove the cancer using a scope; his
prostate cancer was treated with radiation, and his lung
cancer was treated with surgery and chemotherapy. Dr.
Deshmukh worked closely with the oncologist in treat-
ing his bladder cancer and hormone treatment for the
prostate cancer. He happily reports that this patient is
free of cancer five years later in his bladder, prostate and
his lung. “Having three different site cancers treated with
different treatment modalities has cured all the cancers.
Cancer treatment advancements have helped this patient
to be cancer-free. His is not only a medical miracle, but
God’s miracle,” Deshmukh said.
Being a doctor can be difficult in this time of managed
care with insurance companies dictating treatments and
the rising cost of cancer care. Dr. Deshmukh says, “For
stress I just learn to tolerate it more, face the regulations
with obedience, do my artwork, do speaking in public,
educate my patients and be the best doctor I can be.” His
art style is described as abstract impressionism. Two of his
colorful oil paintings can be seen on www.saatchiart.com.