POMPTON PLAINS — The Cancer Center at Chilton Hospital has undergone a $4.4 million renovation to provide the community with cancer treatment technology that boasts increased speed and accuracy, within a warmer, more private setting.
An important element of the renovation is the purchase of a new linear accelerator—the “Trilogy” from Varian Medical Systems—which allows the Cancer Center to provide faster, more accurate radiation therapy for patients. The linear accelerator uses “RapidArc Rotational Radiation Therapy,” which combines the most sophisticated technologies, including Intensity Modulate Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT).
“The linear accelerator enables our highly skilled staff to precisely target the tumor with cancer-killing radiation as it spares the surrounding healthy tissues,” explained Dov Gorshein, M.D., who is chair of the American Board of Radiology-accredited Radiation Oncology Department at Chilton. “In addition, treatment delivery is no more than 90 seconds. It is significantly faster than conventional IMRT and some other forms of IGRT delivery, which may last in excess of a half hour, thus making it less vulnerable to errors due to patient movement.”
According to Gorshein, RapidArc technology is completely painless.
“It’s no more painful than having a chest x-ray,” he said. “Patients receive daily treatment sessions for a few weeks, depending on the individual’s situation. Having this technology in our community is highly beneficial because the patient doesn’t have to travel far to receive treatments, yet receive the very state-of-the-art technology.”
In addition, new dedicated male and female dressing rooms were added for increased privacy and a more comfortable patient experience. The renovation also includes a Trilogy console and new décor that promotes a warm, compassionate environment.
The area of the Cancer Center that received the renovation is now dubbed, The Gorshein Holmes Center for Radiation Therapy. It is named in honor of the generous donations to the Chilton Hospital Foundation by Stephen and Bonnie Holmes and their Family Foundation. Mr. Holmes is chairman and CEO of Parsippany-based Wyndham Worldwide.
“We’re truly grateful for the compassion of our medical staff as well as philanthropists within the community,” said Chilton Hospital Foundation and Community Outreach Department Director Joan Beloff. “This is much more than a monetary gift. The donors have provided our patients with the opportunity to receive advanced technology and personalized care, close to home.”
For more information about Chilton's facilities and services, or to find a doctor by name, specialty, or location, visit www.chiltonhealth.org or call 1-888-CHILTON.