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Charleston, SC – The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and the Medical University of South Carolina’s Hollings Cancer Center have partnered to bring TomoTherapy -- the latest in precision radiation therapy – to cancer patients. (click here for photo)
The TomoTherapy Hi-Art Treatment System is one of just two available in South Carolina, and one of 150 medical sites in the world with the technology. The VA Medical Center and Hollings Cancer Center (HCC), both located in Charleston, S.C., collaborated to bring the advanced technology to patients because of its ability to target tumors of all sizes throughout the body with exceptional accuracy while minimizing damage to surrounding tissue.
“We are happy for the opportunity to partner with the VA to bring this technology to cancer patients,” said Joseph Jenrette, M.D., Chair of MUSC’s Department of Radiation Oncology. “We consider it the most important breakthrough in radiation therapy in the past few years. It provides the most accurate treatment available for some cancers.”
“Tomotherapy offers the latest cancer treatment technology to veterans and citizens throughout the Lowcountry,” said Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center Director John Barilich. “We are very pleased to bring this technology to South Carolina through our partnership.”
Cong. Henry E. Brown, Jr. (R-SC), who helped expand partnership between VA and MUSC added, “Today’s announcement underscores the commitment of the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and the Medical University of South Carolina to continue collaborative efforts that benefit their respective client base while maximizing their available capital budgets. The TomoTherapy system is the most recent in a series of treatment and research projects that have been funded by the VA and MUSC. I am proud to have been an early advocate of the collaborative efforts between these two outstanding healthcare institutions and I pledge my continued support for future endeavors of this nature.”
TomoTherapy, currently used for tumors of the head and neck, brain, lung/chest wall, pancreas, lymph nodes, spine, prostate, abdomen, and rectum, augments the sophisticated cancer treatment protocols both facilities offer. HCC continues to offer conventional radiation with the linear accelerator. Expert teams that include physicians, physicists, and radiation therapists develop treatment protocols based on an individual patient’s diagnosis.
TomoTherapy incorporates 3-D CT images to “paint” a tumor. During treatment, a thin beam rotates 360-degrees around the body delivering precise treatment while avoiding surrounding tissue and organs. The use of CT imaging allows treatment teams to evaluate the tumor daily and refine dosage as necessary.
That could lead to new treatment protocols in which patients receive stronger doses for fewer days. Typically, patients receiving radiation therapy, via Tomotherapy or conventional means, do so daily for 5-35 days. Physicians from both facilities are collaborating to develop new protocols to enhance patients’ quality of life.
Another advantage of this new technology is the ability to train residents and medical students in the most advanced treatments for patients in South Carolina and neighboring states.
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