KentuckyOne Health Cancer Care at Saint Joseph Hospital Invests in Technology to Improve Cancer Patient Care

For Immediate Release

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David McArthur, Senior Manager, Media Relations
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KentuckyOne Health Cancer Care at Saint Joseph Hospital Invests in Technology to Improve Cancer Patient Care
Innovative cancer treatment to help patients in Lexington area

Lexington, Ky. (February 28, 2017) – KentuckyOne Health Cancer Care at Saint Joseph Hospital has invested $3 million in radiation oncology technology to shorten treatment time, improve patient comfort and reduce side effects.

The centerpiece of the investment is a Versa HD™ accelerator, developed by Elekta. The Versa HD provides increased flexibility to treat a broad spectrum of tumors throughout the body. The system’s technology provides superior targeting to tumor size, shape and volume, enabling the treatment of highly complex cases that require extreme precision to protect other critical organs and tissue. The result is faster treatments and often shorter treatment schedules. Some early lung cancers require as few as 3 to 5 treatments.

Shortened treatment times can also improve patient comfort, particularly for older patients who may find it difficult to remain in one position over extended periods of time. Softer streamlined shapes and ergonomic features combine with low mechanical noise and ambient lighting effects to help create a confident and relaxed treatment environment. From enhanced patient safety features to greater environmental friendliness, Versa HD reflects carefully conceived design innovations while enabling expanded patient treatment capabilities.

The new radiation oncology technology also includes a new wide bore CT simulator that allows patients to be treated in more comfortable, but extremely stable, positions. This simulator shortens the prep time required for radiation treatment and gives the radiation oncology team a 4-D image to track in real time. Increased precision of radiation delivery decreases side effects caused by treatment.

In addition, a new Active Breathing Coordinator (ABC) system helps control breathing during radiation delivery, helping protect the heart for some patients with left-sided breast cancers.

“We are thrilled to have these new tools at our fingertips,” said Jacqueline Matar, MD, radiation oncologist, KentuckyOne Cancer Care at Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East. “The improved accuracy means we attack the tumor, minimize side effects and get patients back to their normal routine sooner.”

“We are committed to offering patients the most advanced treatments and best patient care,” said Brian William, MD, radiation oncologist, KentuckyOne Cancer Care at Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East. “The Versa HD, new CT simulator, and ABC system allow us to be more efficient, but most importantly more effective.”

These new technologies are now available to patients throughout the Lexington region.

To learn more about KentuckyOne Health Cancer Care, visit www.kentuckyonehealth.org/lexingtoncancercare, or call 859.277.3737.

About KentuckyOne Health
KentuckyOne Health, the largest and most comprehensive health system in the Commonwealth, has more than 200 locations including, hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies in Kentucky and southern Indiana. KentuckyOne Health is dedicated to bringing wellness, healing and hope to all, including the underserved. The system is made up of the former Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare and Saint Joseph Health System, along with the University of Louisville Hospital and James Graham Brown Cancer Center. KentuckyOne Health is proud of and strengthened by its Catholic, Jewish and academic heritages.

About Elekta
Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer. The company develops sophisticated state of the art tools and treatment planning systems for radiation therapy and radiosurgery, as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer care. For more information about Elekta, please visit www.elekta.com.

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