Comprehensive
Cancer Center
  
  
News



Learn More...
TCCC Appointed Member Of Prestigious Radiation Therapy Oncology Group NEW!
Latest Advances in PET/CT Imaging and Trilogy Technology at Trinitas Save Edison Resident from Paralyzing Spinal Cord Tumor NEW!
Trinitas Cancer Center Earns Upgraded ACoS Accreditation NEW!
Everything You Wanted to Know About Cervical and Uterine Cancer NEW!
Courageous Canine Lifts Spirits of Cancer Patients NEW!
Art Workshop for Cancer Survivors NEW!
Everything You Wanted To Know About Lung Cancer NEW!
Dr. Fersel Joins Staff At Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center
Cone-Beam Ct Imaging Technology Now At Trinitas
Comprehensive Hematology Services Available At Trinitas Cancer Center
Trinitas Cancer Center Announces Clinical Trial To Begin For Previously Untreated Patients With Multiple Myeloma
Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center Hosts National Cancer Survivor's Day
Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center Hosts National Cancer Survivor's Day
Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center Scores Big In National Patient Satisfaction Survey
Surving the Holidays While Surviving Cancer
MammoSite© Breast Cancer Radiation Dramatically Reduces Duration of Treatment
Robotic Treatment Planning Technology Improves Treatment of Breast, Head and Neck Cancer
Trinitas Cancer Center Opens Satellite Office In Union
Trinitas Appoints Two New Medical Oncologists
Cancer Patients At Trinitas Use Wireless Laptops To Email, Surf, Research Or Watch Movies During Chemotherapy Infusions
Breast Health & You
"Made For Me" Boutique
Clinical Trials
Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center Unveils New Jersey's First Trilogy Linear Accelerator
First Patients Undergo Treatment With New Trilogy Linear Accelerator At Trinitas Cancer Center


Location And Directions...
The Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center is located at our Williamson St. Campus.

Please call 908-994-8000, or use these links for Maps and Directions.

 

ROBOTIC TREATMENT PLANNING TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES TREATMENT OF BREAST, HEAD AND NECK CANCERS
TIn this modern age of automated controls and robotics, "smart" machines are increasingly integrated into almost every field of high tech endeavor. It should come as no surprise, therefore, to find similar advances in medical diagnostics and treatment. At Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center (TCCC), machines that can be programmed to perform intricate calculations more quickly and accurately than human technicians are employed in customizing IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Treatment) for selected types of tumors.

Physicians at TCCC are using Electronic Tissue Compensation (ETC), a computerized method of customizing the delivery of radiation therapy with improved dose homogeneity. Until recently, the limiting factor in radiation therapy has been the question of how much radiation healthy tissue surrounding the tumor can take without serious side effects. For example, if a thinner area were to get the same radiation exposure as a thicker area of anatomy, it would produce a hot spot (an area of higher radiation dose). Similarly, a cold spot (an area of lower radiation dose) would result in a thicker area. Electronic Compensation allows clinical professionals at TCCC to design custom treatments that minimize "hot spots" and "cold spots" thereby creating a more uniform dose distribution through the treatment volume. This can lead to a decrease in treatment related side effects and a more effective and tolerable treatment course. ETC may be most beneficial for patients with large breasts, patients who have undergone breast reconstruction, and patients with head and neck cancers.

Electronic Tissue Compensation offers many benefits over traditional treatment techniques. "Using ETC's powerful computer with advanced graphics, lightning-fast dose calculation and treatment planning, we are able to go beyond the limitations of physical compensation techniques," said Linda Veldkamp, Chief Physicist and Director of Radiation Oncology. "With electronic compensation we are able to customize the shape of the treatment beam to the exact shape of the patient on the level of millimeters." Accurate target identification is essential to IMRT treatment planning and delivery. Fortunately, TCCC has the latest Image Guided Radiation Therapy tools at their fingertips for use in precisely identifying target volumes and aligning patients prior to treatment.

ETC's speed and accuracy in establishing a customized-planning protocol helps improve patient outcomes. Since each treatment volume is unique, clinicians need the ability to balance radiation delivery. At TCCC, clinical staff can identify the shape of the tumor using the system's 3D imaging capability and deliver focused radiation energy exactly where it is needed while avoiding surrounding healthy tissue.



 






























Site Index     225 Williamson St., Elizabeth, NJ 07207 908-994-8000     Email Us

Home  |  Services We Provide  |  Physicians  |  About Us  |  Contact Us  |  Find Us  |  News & Information