Fighting cancer requires courage, knowledge, and access to the best care and advanced technology. For a second straight year, cancer deaths in the United States have decreased. The TomoTherapy Hi-Art® System has joined the war as cancer’s newest enemy.
Advanced detection and treatment options are cited as contributing factors to the decline in cancer deaths. One of the most advanced treatment options for cancer is the use of radiation oncology. TomoTherapy Hi-Art® System delivers ultra-precise radiation treatment using a unique helical design. Radiation can come from all angles as opposed to only a few stationary positions. The treatment is so precise that patients undergo daily CT scans to assure the proper positioning. Its precision is also attributed to the combination of image guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IG/IMRT) and helical delivery of radiation, which minimizes the dose to healthy areas such as the heart and lungs. Currently, TomoTherapy can be used to treat many types of cancer in almost any part of the body.
“The side effects from TomoTherapy are significantly reduced compared to conventional radiation therapy,” said Robert Zimmerman, M.D., medical director of the new Vantage Oncology Santa Clarita Radiation Therapy Center in Valencia and one of Southern California’s leading authorities on TomoTherapy.
“The risk of long-term complications from treatment is also dramatically lower.”
Prior to the advent of new targeted radiation therapies such as TomoTherapy and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), radiation oncology although effective also exposed healthier tissues to large amounts of radiation. These more targeted technologies being utilized today are capable of administering large doses of radiation to the specific tumor site while avoiding unnecessary radiation to vital organs.
As patients continue to educate themselves about the benefits of TomoTherapy, Zimmerman explains that he is seeing an increasing number of patients requesting this new technology to treat more common cancers.
“We must educate ourselves about new treatment options and remain diligent about receiving annual screenings to ensure the best possible outcome,” said Zimmerman.
The TomoTherapy Hi Art® System at Vantage Oncology Santa Clarita Radiation Therapy Center is one of only seven systems in California.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 866-964-8100.