Cancer treatment of the future
Upgrades equip Enloe with faster, more precise cancer-fighting technology
Enloe Medical Center will soon become one of five hospitals in California to offer a cutting-edge radiotherapy system that more effectively isolates cancer cells in tumors from surrounding tissue than previous technology.
The $4 million upgrade for the Enloe Regional Cancer Center includes the recent implementation of faster treatment-planning software and a soon-to-be-installed, state-of-the-art linear accelerator, a machine that delivers x-rays to a patient’s tumors while sparing normal tissue cells, according to a hospital press release. The new system is expected to cut treatment times in half.
“The new linear accelerator delivers a faster dose rate than most typical linear accelerators, and can target tumors even as they move and change over time,” said Dr. Michael Baird, the cancer center’s executive director.
The new system should be operational by the end of the year.
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