The Department of Radiation Oncology at the ECU Brody School of Medicine (also known as ECU Physicians Radiation Oncology) held an open house and ribbon cutting on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. in the Leo W. Jenkins Cancer Center, located at 600 Moye Boulevard in Greenville. During the open house, the center, which is the most comprehensive cancer treatment, academic and research facility in the region, unveiled its newest tool in the fight against cancer, the Siemens' ONCOR™ Expression STX Linear Accelerator or Linac.
The ONCOR Linac is the newest addition to their arsenal of cancer fighting Linacs which deliver ultra-precise Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). The Linac is the tool which aims the radiation, from many different directions, directly at the cancer tumor. These therapies can raise patient quality of life by maximizing cancer control and minimizing side effects. The Linac is housed in an Asian-inspired treatment suite designed to increase comfort and relaxation levels in patients undergoing radiation treatment.
Because patients, their organs and their cancer tumors move, IGRT evaluates and corrects for this movement to ensure the most precise delivery of treatment. Only a handful of cancer centers in the world have the equipment, appropriate staffing and training to routinely utilize both IGRT and IMRTfor patients requiring these advanced modalities. ECU introduced IMRT technology to North Carolina in 2002 and has routinely employed IGRT since 2005. The center is considered a world leader in this treatment technology and is the only radiation oncology center in eastern North Carolina certified by the American College of Radiology- one of only three certified centers in the entire state.
The ONCOR is the first Linac to come standard with the MVision™ Megavoltage Cone Beam Imaging Package, which provides a fully integrated, CAT scan based (3-D) Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) solution. Siemens designed this ONCOR linac specifically for ECU to aide in their delivery of ultra-precise radiation therapy and to complement their existing Siemen's CT-Vision Linac. The CT-Vision, or "CT-on-rails," offers in-room diagnostic scans with crystal clear images. This clarity eliminates the uncertainty often found on many types of IGRT systems. The CT "on rails" approach can be used on any part of the body.
The expert team of cancer specialists at ECU Physicians Radiation Oncology is the largest, most experienced and diverse team ever assembled in eastern North Carolina. They bring the latest cancer technologies to the region and offer patients the most advanced therapies and treatment tools. Also, ECU's advanced technology is fully credentialed by the Radiological Physics Center, therefore ECU patients may participate in clinical trials.
ECU Physicians Radiation Oncology specializes in other state-of-the- art cancer treatments, including Radiosurgery ("No-Incision" Surgery) for liver, lung, pancreas, brain, head and neck cancers; Prostate Brachytherapy, Photodynamic Therapy, Mammosite® Partial Breast Targeted Therapy, High-Dose Rate and Low-Dose Rate Brachytherapy and more.
