Cancer Program Annual Report - Eisenhower Medical Center

E I S E N H O W E R L U C Y C U R C I C A N C E R C E N T E R
Advancements for Treating Cancer
Eisenhower BIGHORN Radiation Oncology Center
offers the latest technological advances right here in
the Coachella Valley, close to home.
Novalis Tx radiation therapy utilizes a powerful linear
accelerator that rotates around the patient to deliver
treatment beams anywhere in the body from virtually
any angle. Using sophisticated imaging tools, the
radiation beams are shaped, allowing the clinician to
deliver a precise dose of radiation to the specific shape,
size and position of the targeted tumor, while protecting
the healthy tissue that surrounds them. Novalis Tx is so
accurate, fewer radiation treatments may be required.
Novalis Tx can be used to treat cancerous and
non-cancerous conditions.
Revolutionary RapidArc radiation technology is
an innovative breakthrough in cancer care, providing
faster and more precise treatments. Delivering tumordestroying
treatments with unprecedented accuracy in
fewer rotations (two to eight times faster than other
treatment techniques), overall treatment sessions are
significantly shorter than standard radiation therapy.
Fewer revolutions means RapidArc treatments are more
comfortable for the patient, who will spend less time in
daily treatment while still receiving state-of-the-art care.
Combination Novalis Tx with RapidArc Technology
Eisenhower BIGHORN Radiation Oncology Center is
first in the Coachella Valley to combine Novalis Tx with
Image courtesy of Varian Medical Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
RapidArc radiotherapy delivers a complete IMRT
treatment with one rotation of the treatment machine.
RapidArc radiation technology, bringing patients fast,
accurate non-surgical treatments for cancer.
Benefits include:
■ Offers one of the fastest, most precise cancer
treatments available.
■ Protects surrounding healthy tissue.
■ Treatment times are two to eight times faster than
conventional treatment options.
External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBT) uses our
state-of-the-art linear accelerators to deliver radiation to
a precise location within the body. A series of threedimensional
radiation beams are tailored to the size,
shape and location of the tumor or cancer cells to stop
their growth and reproduction while sparing the
surrounding healthy tissue. EBT is effective for treating
a variety of different types of cancers and is often used
in cooperation with other forms of treatment, such as
surgery and chemotherapy.
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is
one of most significant innovations in cancer treatment
in the past four decades. IMRT uses sophisticated
computer technology to create extremely precise and
accurate treatment plans with precision and accuracy.
The variable beam intensity, which is the hallmark of the
IMRT technique, allows the radiation beams to be
shaped in ways previously thought impossible. Due to
its advanced accuracy, radiation is often delivered at
higher doses without increased side effects. This allows
us to treat tumors that, even a few years ago, would
have been considered untreatable due to their size or
proximity to vital, healthy organs.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery does not actually involve
surgery. It is a noninvasive method of delivering a
precise dose of intense radiation to a tumor that is
most often located in the brain. Stereotactic radiosurgery
offers an important alternative for many brain
tumors, both benign and malignant, which have
traditionally been treated through complicated invasive
surgical procedures. Stereotactic treatment uses beams
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