Schneck Cancer Center Now Offering the Most Advanced Radiation Therapies Available

A new linear accelerator has been installed at Schneck Cancer Center offering expanded radiation oncology services to our patients locally and with greater convenience.

The Varian TrueBeam® linear accelerator is one of the most advanced therapies available. This high precision radiotherapy system is equipped with integrated hardware and software systems that allow for optimal imaging techniques at speeds much quicker than before.

One of the many benefits of the TrueBeam is shorter treatment times. TrueBeam delivers precise dosage quickly leading to less interruption of our patients’ daily lives. The more integrated system allows Schneck to decrease the amount of time the patient spends in the Cancer Center for radiation. Faster treatment times also allow for reduced chance of tumor motion during treatment, which makes delivery more accurate and decreases unwanted exposure to healthy tissue.

And, TrueBeam’s improved imaging techniques allow for increased visibility and faster acquisition, making the system one of the most innovative of its time.

The new linear accelerator also offers stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and Respiratory Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH), both treatments Schneck has not been able to offer until now. SRS is a minimally-invasive, non-surgical therapy for small metastatic tumors of the brain involving the use of a single high-dose of radiation delivered with pinpoint accuracy to the tumor. With this new technology, Schneck can also offer DIBH, a radiation therapy technique for breast cancer treatment to spare doses to the heart and lungs. Previously, patients had to travel to other facilities to receive these types of treatments.

“Schneck Cancer Center continues to grow and offer new technology,” says Schneck Cancer Center Director Kristin Hines. “We are committed to having the best technology available right here at home. There is simply no reason to go anywhere else.”