Vim & Vigor - Summer 2017 - North Mississippi - 7

NIPPLE-SPARING MASTECTOMY
The
TrueBeam
system
allows quick
and precise
radiation
treatments.

NMMC ON THE
FOREFRONT OF
CANCER TREATMENT
WITH TRUEBEAM

NMMC Cancer Care acquired the
TrueBeam linear accelerator system,
an innovative system that enables
radiation oncologists to treat even
challenging cases with unprecedented
speed and precision.
Simple treatments that once took
15 minutes or more can be completed in
less than two minutes once the patient
is in position. "Patients will spend a
whole lot less time lying still, immobilized on a hard surface," says radiation
oncologist Ray Reed, MD.
For lung and other tumors subject
to motion when the patient breathes,
TrueBeam offers gated RapidArc radiotherapy, which makes it possible to
monitor and compensate for breathing
while quickly delivering treatment.
"With TrueBeam, we can treat a
moving lung tumor as if it were standing still," says Reed. "We expect this to
make a meaningful difference for lung
cancer patients."

NMMC surgeon Danny Sanders, the traditional blade. This blade
MD, introduced a new surgical
also makes it possible to do a
technique for breast cancer that
sentinel node biopsy through the
conserves the patient's nipple
same incision. A plastic surgeon
areola complex and breast skin.
can join Sanders in the operat"After reconstruction, the
ing room to place expanders
results look much more like the
for reconstruction during this
patient's own breast," Sanders
surgery rather than waiting for
says. "We can hide the scar in a
the patient to recover from the
smaller incision under the breast, mastectomy first.
instead of the traditional rainCurrently, the procedure is
bow-shaped incision across the
reserved for patients who have a
top of the breast."
genetic link to breast cancer and
This technique, which helps
are having prophylactic surgery
with recovery and tissue conseror those with smaller tumors
vation, is possible with
away from the nipple.
the use of a special
In traditional maslighted retractor and
tectomy, the skin fold
a plasma blade. The
and nipple and areola
blade is telescopic-so
are removed, and
the surgeon can reach
skin from the side is
farther into the tisused for reconstrucsue without changing
tion. Patients have
tools-and uses pulsed
less pain and fewer
radio-frequency that
incisions with the
doesn't get as hot as
new technique.
Danny Sanders, MD

FIT TESTING

The Barbershop Talk program
added fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) as a way
to encourage more AfricanAmerican men to get screened
for colon cancer.
Sponsored by NMMC
Cancer Care, Barbershop
Talk encourages barbers to
educate their clients on the
importance of prostate and
colon cancer screenings.
"African-Americans need to
begin screening for colon cancer
at 45 because they are at higher
risk," says Cindy McDaniel,
RN, Barbershop Talk coordinator and nurse navigator. "If a
barber is talking to his client
about colon cancer and he

wants to know more, the barber can refer them to me. I
can give them more information, encourage them to have
a colonoscopy if they are of
age or give them a FIT test-
a free screening test provided
by NMMC Cancer Care to
Barbershop Talk participants."
FIT testing checks for human
blood in the colon. If the test
is positive, the client knows the
colonoscopy is needed.
"This is just another tool we
are using to encourage screening," McDaniel said. "Colon cancer is one of the most preventable
cancers, and getting screened is
so important, especially for this
population." n

SUMME R 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2017 - North Mississippi