Published on April 02, 2014
Mercy adds new radiation therapy technology at Hall-Perrine Cancer Center
Patients at Mercy’s Hall-Perrine Cancer Center are now able to receive powerful and precise radiotherapy cancer treatments within just a few minutes per day through a new TrueBeam™ advanced medical linear accelerator system.
The TrueBeam Radiotherapy System (TrueBeam) from Varian Medical Systems is the latest advancement in radiation technology available in the United States. It has the unique ability to capture 3-D images during treatment, which allows for high-dose, narrowly targeted radiation delivery while monitoring the patient’s breathing and compensating for movement of the tumor while the dose is being delivered.
“The new TrueBeam system opens the door to new possibilities for the treatment of lung, breast, prostate, head and neck, as well as other cancers,” said Dr. Janet Merfeld, radiation oncologist at Hall-Perrine Cancer Center. “It gives us an additional tool to treat even more complex cancer cases.”
This new technology replaces Mercy’s oldest linear accelerator, purchased in 2001. A $1.5 million grant award from the Hall-Perrine Foundation helped with the purchase of the new technology.
“This new technology, made possible through the generosity of the Hall-Perrine Foundation, will allow us to meet the community’s need for the very best cancer care close to home,” said Tim Charles, president and CEO of Mercy Medical Center. “This technology provides patients with the best treatment options available in a comfortable, familiar atmosphere.”
TrueBeam gives Mercy the capability to offer a Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) program. This technology delivers a high dose of radiation to a very small area, thus allowing the tumor to be treated with just a few treatments. SBRT can fight cancers throughout the body, such as lung, pancreas and liver, as well as tumors that have invaded the liver and spinal cord from distant organs. SBRT is a well-established approach for treatment of certain cancers and is supported by numerous research trials.
