Blanchard Valley Health System (BVHS) has acquired a TrueBeam linear accelerator system from Varian Medical Systems, improving treatment options for patients undergoing radiation therapy at The Armes Family Cancer Care Center (AFCCC), a division of the health system.

Radiation therapy treatments are designed to damage cancer cells to prevent them from dividing, without damaging other tissue. The team providing this treatment includes radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, nurses, dosimetrists, and physicists.

The radiation oncologist determines the appropriate dose of radiation based on the type, size, and location of the tumor. A radiation therapy session typically lasts no more than 15 minutes, so patients do not receive too much radiation all at once. The new machine has shortened this treatment time for many patients.

Technology keeps improving, said Lori Hummel, RT (T), clinical coordinator, radiation oncology. Hummel has been providing radiation therapy at BVHS for 25 years. The machines available now can target the radiation more precisely than when she began her career, causing fewer side effects for patients.

The new machine also offers more flexibility in adjusting a patient’s position, making it easier for radiation therapists to line patients up with the radiation with less discomfort.

Media release provided by Blanchard Valley Health System