Vim & Vigor - Winter 2012 - St. Anthony - (Page 7)

Pinpoint Precision Advanced technology allows doctors to treat cancer anywhere in the body by Carla Carwile I f you ask Michael Tallhamer about the tumorfighting technology at the new St. Anthony Cancer Center, be ready for an amazing adventure. The story he shares will stretch across four dimensions, split seconds and hit targets the width of a thread. Tallhamer is the physicist who calculates and calibrates the highly individualized radiosurgical treatments patients receive at this state-of-the-art center. He works in tandem with two radiation oncologists— Ralph Wright, M.D., and Charles Leonard, M.D.— and a team of cancer care providers. And he’s clearly impressed with the capabilities of the Novalis Tx with RapidArc, an advanced radiosurgical system that can rotate 360 degrees around a patient to treat cancer anywhere in the body. The Novalis Tx helps doctors treat cancer with high accuracy. Tracking Time “In the ‘old’ days,” Tallhamer begins, “we had only a CT scan ‘snapshot’ of the patient’s cancer on a specific hour and day. So we had x, y and z—volume at a fixed point. With the Novalis, when we configure the individualized treatment plan, we’re working with all four dimensions: height, width, depth and time.” Capturing that time element is made possible through special markers and the Novalis’ highly integrated imaging feature. Just how vital it is becomes apparent when Tallhamer explains the feature called respiratory gating and its powerful patient benefits. “Let’s say our patient has lung cancer. He’s already had surgery, which means that his pulmonary Michael J. Tallhamer, M.Sc DABR, medical physicist The new cancer center continues St. anthony Hospital’s 120-year legacy of compassionate cancer care and is a proud member of the centura Health cancer network. This statewide network unites oncology experts and leading-edge technologies and services to ensure that patients with all types of cancers and blood disorders have access to colorado’s most advanced care. Vim & Vigor • Wi nter 2012 7

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2012 - St. Anthony

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2012 - St. Anthony
Contents
Opening Thoughts
Community Connections
The Speed of Life
Pinpoint Precision
Because I Said So!
What’s Wrong with This Picture?
The Future Is Now
Everyday Hero
What Does 200 Calories Look Like?
Johnny Be Good
In the Driver’s Seat
We’ve Got Your Back
Bank on Your Health
Virtual Health
Be a Proactive Patient
The Solitaire Strategy
Top Honors
By the Numbers
From the Foundation
Ask the Experts

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2012 - St. Anthony