|
Cancer is a deadly enemy – particularly when it has
spread from one organ to another. In these cases, where previously
doctors often had no treatment options, a technology called stereotactic
body radiosurgery now offers new hope for keeping that enemy
at bay.
“Stereotactic” means the system localizes a tumor
in three dimensions, and “radiosurgery” hints at
its power. “Where traditional radiation uses a low daily
dose for five to seven weeks, this approach applies a high dose
in very few treatments, trying to completely ablate – or
destroy – the tumor,” explains Mitchell Weiss, MD,
chairman of radiation oncology at Monmouth Medical Center. “That’s
why the term radiosurgery was coined. It essentially means doing
surgery with a radiation beam rather than with a scalpel. And
it can get to remote places in the body that would be very difficult
for a surgeon to reach.”
At Monmouth’s Institute for Advanced Radiation Oncology,
stereotactic radiosurgery is now performed using a system called
TomoTherapy, which employs a large donut-shaped computed tomography
(CT) scanner through with the patient passes.
“TomoTherapy is a marriage of a CT unit and a linear accelerator,
a device that creates high-energy X-ray beams,” explains
Rita Saible, chief therapist in the radiation oncology unit.
It takes fresh images of the anatomy that allows doctors to see
the location of the tumor immediately before treatment to make
necessary adjustments. Then it delivers radiation beams in a
helical 360-degree pattern into the patient’s body in different
computer-chosen directions and intensities to kill cancer cells
and leave healthy tissue intact.”
Using TomoTherapy for sterotactic radiosurgery is significantly
improving the delivery of radiation to many parts of the body
including the liver, spine, lungs, brain, and the head and neck.
“The liver is an ideal application for TomoTherapy because
it moves a lot as the patient breathes, so the system’s
real-time imaging becomes a big advantage,” says Dr. Weiss.
While tumors originating in the liver still usually require surgery,
he explains, cancers that have spread to the liver from other
parts of the body can often be treated with the virtual “knife” of
radiosurgery.
Dr. Weiss says, “The big advantage of TomoTherapy for
lung cancer patients is allowing higher dose levels than we were
able to use before, thus improving outcomes.”
Patients with brain tumors will benefit from TomoTherapy’s
precise targeting of high radiation doses – potentially
as much as 10 times as high as those traditionally employed.
“It lets us target the brain tumor with very high doses – doses
that in the past would have required neurosurgeon to attach a
surgical frame to the head to hold it in position,” Dr.
Weiss says.
Gaining international, national and state recognition for its
clinical research into advanced methods of radiation therapy
in recent years, the Institute for Advanced Radiation Oncology
at the Leon Hess Cancer Center’s achievements paved the
way for Monmouth Medical Center to become the first hospital
in Monmouth County to earn accreditation from the American College
of Radiation Oncology for the quality, safety and appropriateness
of its radiation therapy.
For more information on TomoTherapy or the Leon Hess Cancer
Center, or for referral to a cancer specialist, call 1-888-724-7123
or visit www.mmccancer.com.
Date: January 19, 2009
CONTACT: Kristine A. Brown
Director of Public Relations
732-557-3902
[ top ] [ back to
News Index ] |
