Monday, July 21, 2008

Texas Oncology-Baylor Charles A. Sammons Center among the first free-standing clinics in U.S. to boast new cancer-fighting technology

By Pegasus News wire

DALLAS — Patients of Texas Oncology–Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center from Dallas-Fort Worth, as well as across Texas and the Southwest region, are now among the first in the nation to have access to new state-of-the-art radiation equipment that provides faster and more accurate treatment for a wide variety of cancers.

Texas Oncology at Sammons Cancer Center is currently using a Novalis Tx™ stereotactic radiosurgery system and will soon be joined by Texas Oncology–Tyler in Tyler, Texas, to be among the first free-standing cancer centers in the United States to use this technology.

Novalis Tx is a powerful radiosurgery and radiotherapy system that delivers precisely focused, high-energy radiation to a localized area very quickly, enabling doctors to treat otherwise unapproachable, inoperable tumors. The system’s platform allows for intricately customized settings that enable treatments to be highly targeted and accurate.

Dr. Scott Cheek, a radiation oncologist with Texas Oncology–Sammons Cancer Center, said the system has been installed and patients from the greater Dallas area have already been treated, as have patients from Longview, Midland/Odessa, West Texas, South Texas, and the Valley.

“We’re excited that our patients have become and will be among the first in the nation to receive the benefits of this much improved technology,” said Cheek. “Not only does it allow us to deliver highly accurate radiation to both malignant and benign tumors, but it works with several types of cancers as well.”

Cancers that will be treated by the system include those within the brain; head and neck; pancreas; liver; prostate; and lungs. Because the system is so accurate, nearby healthy tissue is protected from damaging radiation, meaning larger doses of radiation can be delivered to the tumor with each treatment, and recovery times can be much shorter.

Most patients will find their treatments take less time with Novalis Tx than if they were treated using previous-generation technology such as a Cyberknife.

“Significantly shorter treatments will really help the comfort levels of our patients and potentially offer a radiobiologic advantage with Novalis Tx versus other radiosurgery platforms such as the Cyberknife and Gamma Knife, which have longer treatment times,” Cheek said.

Texas Oncology is part of the US Oncology network, which provided Texas Oncology–Sammons Cancer Center with the multimillion dollar capital investment in the Novalis Tx equipment.

Texas Oncology is the largest independent oncology practice nationwide and provides care to more Texans with cancer than any other cancer care provider. Through this large oncology network, Texas Oncology–Sammons Cancer Center brings many benefits to area cancer patients, including access to nationwide research and clinical trials of promising new drugs. In addition to Novalis Tx stereotactic radiosurgery, other radiation modalities used at the Texas Oncology–Sammons Cancer Center include intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image guided radiation therapy (IGRT), 3 D conformal radiation therapy, High Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy, and radioactive monoclonal antibody therapy.

Texas Oncology–Sammons Cancer Center serves the greater Dallas area, Texas, and the Southwest region and offers cancer patients all their medical services and patient and family support at a single location. Our oncology physicians are supported by trained professional teams who are sensitive to the needs of cancer patients and their caregivers.

For more information about Texas Oncology–Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, please visit www.TexasOncology.com, or call 1-888-864-I CAN (4226).

Source: Texas Oncology

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