Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Summer 2014 - (Page 5)

An Inside Look All radiation treatment isn't the same A The radiation oncology team at the Kaufman Cancer Center lmost two-thirds of people diagnosed with cancer receive radiation therapy, either alone or combined with chemotherapy or surgery, as part of their treatment. The radiation oncology program at the new Patricia D. and M. Scot Kaufman Cancer Center (KCC), an affiliate of the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center (UMGCC), is located on the campus of the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center and offers exciting advancements. Carolyn Acker, a longtime Harford County resident, can attest to those advancements. She was one of the ﬁrst patients to receive radiation therapy at the KCC last year. "You certainly don't look forward to radiation treatment appointments," she says. "But I was really impressed with the care I received. My treatment was in a very personal and vulnerable area. Everyone I met was so kind, sensitive to my needs, compassionate, helpful and knowledgeable. I felt like they really "Brachytherapy treatment requires special cared and they took the time to know me as a person. I wasn't physician training, expertise and experienced afraid when I came in for treatments; I was in good hands." physicists on hand to help the physician in MORE PRECISION MEANS SHORTER TREATMENT TIME delivering the radiation safely and correctly. The KCC has invested in a dedicated brachytherapy suite to provide comfort and privacy Every patient at the KCC is different, so a customized treat- for our patients," says Navesh Sharma, DO, ment plan is developed with the Department of Radiation PhD, medical director of radiation oncology Oncology at UMGCC, including the type and length of radia- at the Kaufman Cancer Center, and assistant tion therapy. There are several types of radiation therapy professor of radiation oncology at the University of Maryland treatments available. It is important to determine the right School of Medicine. treatment for each patient. Navesh Sharma, DO, PhD advanced technology that delivers high doses of radiation to YOUR PARTNERS IN TREATMENT AND RECOVERY tumors in shorter time frames, while minimizing the exposure Carolyn is healing nicely and is so grateful for her positive to surrounding normal tissues and organs. This shortens the experience that she is sharing it with everyone she knows. time patients spend undergoing treatment. "I had such trust with my team and we were partners in my The Kaufman Cancer Center houses two linear accelerators, Brachytherapy, primarily used for treatment of prostate treatment and recovery," she says. "I hope people in Harford cancer, literally means "close, or near, therapy" and works by County realize what an incredibly advanced and highly per- targeting the tumor from inside the body as close as possible sonable cancer center we have, right in our community." to the tumor bed. This precise approach allows for radiation delivery direct to the target area, sparing surrounding healthy tissue and minimizing side effects. In appropriately selected cases, this treatment option allows for a complete course of radiation therapy to be delivered in a week rather than the standard treatment of six weeks. FIGHTING CANCER TOGETHER You don't have to face cancer alone. Call the Cancer LifeNet Helpline at 866-393-4355 for support, or visit uchcancer.org. umuch.org | Summer 2014 5 http://www.uchcancer.org http://uchs.org/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Summer 2014

Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Summer 2014
In This Issue
A Healthy Start
Sun Smarts
An Inside Look
Special Deliveries
Full-Fledged Support
At A Glance
Physician Update
News and Events

Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Summer 2014