‘Cancer care closer to home’
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Washington unveils sophisticated radiation machine
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at UPMC Washington on Tuesday marked a major milestone in its capabilities to help patients fight cancer with the addition of a linear accelerator, a sophisticated radiation machine that brings cutting-edge cancer treatment to Washington County.
UMPC Washington held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the hospital to celebrate the installation of the new, second linear accelerator, which was added to meet growing community needs and to provide advanced cancer care for more people, closer to home.
The Linac delivers highly precise forms of radiation therapy used to treat tumors in the body and brain in fewer sessions 无毛视频� often in just one to five treatments compared to traditional radiation therapy that may require multiple sessions over several weeks.
Before the addition of the Linac, patients who needed that level of care would have to travel to Pittsburgh.
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is an NCI-Designated Cancer Center 无毛视频� a hospital or university recognized by the U.S. government for top-tier cancer research and care.
Out of roughly 1,500 cancer centers in the U.S., only about 57 have earned the designation, according to Beth Wild, President of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and a graduate of Trinity High School and Notre Dame University.
Wild said the Linac is 无毛视频渁n important addition to UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at UPMC Washington.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e traveled a lot in my career, and I can tell you not all areas in the country enjoy access to NCI-designated comprehensive care in a community like Washington. If you lived elsewhere, you might have to travel to a city, to an academic hub, to be treated with this type of equipment, and due to shortages and capacity, which exist in a lot of places, you might have to wait for that treatment,无毛视频� said Wild. 无毛视频淲ith the addition of a second state-of-the-art machine here in Washington, we can ensure that patients will not only receive the best possible care, but they无毛视频檒l receive it as soon as they need it.无毛视频�
Dr. Ziad Fawaz, a radiation oncologist and medical director of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at UPMC Washington, said the new machine will result in shorter treatment times, fewer visits, and greater comfort for patients.
The Linac targets tumors with great accuracy, reducing the risk of damage to nearby health tissue.
It will be used to treat several cancers, including tumors on the brain or in the spine, liver, or bones.
无毛视频淎s a physician, it无毛视频檚 easy to get excited about new technology, new machines, and what it brings in terms of access for our patients, but it无毛视频檚 really more about the whole care we provide our patients. It无毛视频檚 safe, more convenient, and more efficient for them,无毛视频� said Fawaz. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 looking forward to even more access and more care that we can provide to patients who live in the Washington community.无毛视频�
Brook Ward, president of UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene, said the new machine 无毛视频渆nsures patients can receive the highest care right here in our community.无毛视频�
无毛视频淭his is about ensuring people in Washington county and the surrounding area receive advanced cancer care closer to home, surrounded by and supported by the systems that are most important to them,无毛视频� said Ward. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 also really about the team, the staff. The technology is one thing, but it无毛视频檚 the people who deliver the care, it无毛视频檚 their expertise, their compassion, their commitment that drives it home.无毛视频�