New radiation therapy uplifts cancer patient
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PUBLICATION: Tulsa Health Care Journal
DATE PUBLISHED: 1/20/12
AUTHOR: Doug Eaton
Michal Long, a breast cancer patient, can't sing the praises of a new procedure loud enough. This new procedure, first done in Tulsa at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, allows cancer patients to receive radiation treatment while still in the operating room undergoing surgery.
And in many cases, patients may not need any additional outpatient radiation treatment. Another important benefit is that there are often fewer side effects.
The formal name of the procedure is Novac7 Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT) and it was first utilized in Tulsa at CTCA in mid-September.
Long, who lives in Savannah, Ga., came to Tulsa for treatment due to her family connections and ties to this area. She was born in Stillwater, her mother lives in Tulsa and her sisters live in Oklahoma City.
After receiving the diagnosis of cancer. Long says she was somewhat dumbstruck, just as many cancer patients will admit when they receive the news.
"I didn't know what to do. Do I pack up and leave? Where do I go? Who do I tell?"
While watching television, Long saw a commercial for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America and noticed that there was a facility in Tulsa. She immediately knew then what to do.
"I'm going home," she said.
Previously, patients during cancer surgery such as Long would have to be transported from the operating room to the hospital's linear accelerator to receive radiation treatment. This action involved several potential risks including the imposing challenge to maintain a sterile field.
Using the new machine, the therapy procedure can be performed in the same room as the surgery, often in about 30 minutes or so.
Intraoperative radiation therapy is not actually a new innovation, but its delivery with the Novac7 machine is.
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