St. Anthony device provides precision in treating tumors

Published: April 7, 2007

A new $2.1 million radiotherapy device at St. Anthony Hospital is expected to allow doctors more precision in treating cancerous tumors while limiting damage to healthy tissue.

An estimated 300 patients per year will benefit from the new image-guided radiotherapy device, which was installed last month.

Image-guided radiotherapy combines a CT scan of the body with radiation treatment to give doctors more control over the malignancy being treated. The device allows a technician to treat an area like the pancreas and nearby lymph nodes, while leaving healthy tissue and nearby organs untouched. The device also can adapt to changes in the body, permitting doctors to treat shrinking tumors without damage to other body parts.

“I think we’re focusing in on what needs to be treated rather than larger areas,” said Dr. Clinton Medbery, radiation oncologist.