169 Riverside Drive, Binghamton, NY 13905
Phone: 607-798-5230 • Fax: 607-798-6720
The addition of a CT
Simulator at the Lourdes Regional Cancer Center is giving
Lourdes patients an extra edge in the fight against cancer.
CT Simulation is one of the latest advances in the field of
Radiation Oncology for the treatment of cancer, and is now
available at Lourdes Regional Cancer Center. CT Simulation is the
most accurate process available to localize, define, and
reconstruct, in 3-dimension, a patient's tumor. This process
identifies the tumor along with the normal tissue surrounding it,
allowing the Radiation Oncologist to design a treatment plan unique
to each patient's anatomy. It enables the Radiation Therapist to
map the resulting treatment coordinates with a high degree of
accuracy.
Vital to the process of CT Simulation is a dedicated CT
Simulator, which differs from a conventional CAT scan in a number
of respects. A series of internal and external lasers permit proper
positioning of the patient on the treatment table. Small skin
markers are correlated with the patient's internal anatomy and
tumor. The table position of the simulator can be precisely indexed
and documented to accurately reproduce the treatment set-up each
day over the 5 - 8 weeks of therapy. All of this information is
transferred to the 3-dimensional planning computer and the linear
accelerator, which is the treatment machine. Multiple checks are in
place to ensure the accuracy of daily treatments.
"It's unusual to see technology like this available at a
community hospital. This cutting edge technology is typically only
seen in university settings, and reflects the commitment that
Lourdes has for the treatment of our cancer patients," said Lourdes
Radiation Oncology Director Michael Fallon, MD. "It allows us to
localize and define the tumor itself, while also identifying the
healthy tissue. The advantage is that it minimizes the amount of
toxicity to the surrounding healthy tissue that does not need to be
treated."
The CT Simulator also reduces the amount of time patients are at
the center. It allows a patient to receive a full CT scan in three
to five minutes. The same machine provides the simulated
coordinates for the high-energy radiation treatments. A patient can
schedule another appointment for the actual delivery of
treatment.
"One of the advantages of having this technology is that we know
we are providing the best and most accurate treatment available to
our patients," Fallon said.
