Cancer Treatment Centers of America® Offers New Total Skin Electron Therapy Treatment for Rare Form of Lymphoma Appearing as a Skin Cancer Delivers Radiation to Body Surface Only
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Non-affected areas are protected with new low-energy electron technology
ZION, IL, June 22, 2009 - Waukegan resident Desiree Martinez, a single mother of two and full-time student, had no idea that the small skin irregularity on her face was cutaneous T-cell lymphoma until a dermatologist pointed it out to her when she brought her brother in for a regular visit.
Today, Desiree finds herself the first patient ever treated at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at Midwestern Regional Medical Center with a new treatment called total skin electron therapy (TSET), a state-of-the-art technique for the treatment of skin-based T-cell lymphomas (mycosis fungoides) and other conditions, such as Kaposi's sarcoma.
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a rare type of lymphocytic cancer in which certain cells of the lymphatic system, called T-lymphocytes or T-cells become cancerous and affect the skin.
With TSET, the skin of the entire body is irradiated to a uniform low-energy dose of electrons with limited penetration to the underlying tissues and organs. Large fields at extended distances are used to adequately cover the entire body of patients as they stand in a treatment box measuring roughly 8’ x 4’ x 3’. Delivered on an outpatient basis, patients receive TSET four days each week for about nine weeks. A typical treatment session takes 30 minutes. Total skin electron therapy treatment is customized to each individual case and is designed to maximize therapeutic benefits.
Prior to the use of electron beams, low-energy X-rays were used for total skin irradiation. However, clinical results were less than encouraging because it was difficult to treat the entire skin area adequately. To date, where practiced, TSET has produced outstanding results in the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with over 90 percent of patients showing a positive response .
"Clinical radiotherapy application of low energy electrons in the treatment of total skin involvement is a complex and rarely practiced modality world over," says Dr. Bernard Eden, Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at CTCA at Midwestern Regional Medical Center. "CTCA is now able to offer this capability through Varian’s TrilogyTM system, the latest addition to our arsenal of advanced technology and tools used to fight cancer," he adds.
The Varian TrilogyTM system at CTCA at Midwestern offers capabilities for providing Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), 3D Conformal Radiation, Fractionated Stereotactic Radiation Therapy, and Stereotactic Radiosurgery -- all from one treatment machine. Real-time imaging provides up-to-the-second data. Also, when using Respiratory Gating, tumor motion can be monitored so that optimal doses of radiation can be delivered with increased accuracy thus avoiding harm to nearby healthy tissues. The speed at which Trilogy administers radiation treatment is nearly 60 times faster than some other radiation therapy systems. Because the system delivers each treatment so quickly, it minimizes the amount of time patients spend in the treatment room receiving radiation therapy.
For more information on total skin electron therapy and the Trilogy radiation therapy system at CTCA, visit http://www.cancercenter.com/conventional-cancer-treatment/trilogy.cfm
About Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) is a national network of hospitals providing a comprehensive, fully integrative approach to cancer treatment. CTCA serves patients with advanced cancer from all 50 states at facilities located in suburban Chicago, Philadelphia, Tulsa and suburban Phoenix. For more information about Cancer Treatment Centers of America, go to cancercenter.com.
