Varian Linear Accelerator
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| A radiation oncology therapist positions
the new linear accelerator for treatment. |
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| Soothing colors greet patients in the
new radiation therapy area. Radiation therapist will work in the
control station behind the divider. |
The C.R. Wood Cancer Center's
$1.6 million, multi-ton Varian linear accelerator is
yet another weapon in its
state-of-the-art arsenal in battling cancer.
Using Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) technology and the
accelerator’s multileaf collimator, a series of 120 ‘fingers’ to
precisely direct the radiation, a CT Simulator and the linear accelerator
essentially "communicate" with each other, automatically
positioning each finger to create a more precise pattern to aim the
radiation. Glens Falls Hospital fully implements all aspects of
IMRT technology, which reduces the
time spent from diagnosis to treatment by 50 percent, according to
conservative estimates. And research has indicated as much as a 15 percent
increase in survivability in certain diseases thanks to IMRT’s precise
radiation doses which reduce damage to healthy surrounding tissues by more
than 30 percent when compared to current technology. All this is welcome
news to the more than 70 patients receiving radiation treatments daily at
the C.R. Wood Cancer Center.
