HASTINGS — Mary Lanning Healthcare and the Morrison Cancer Center are celebrating a new project to house advanced equipment at the cancer center.
A groundbreaking ceremony will take place Wednesday, July 15, at 9 a.m., just west of the Morrison Center Center, 815 N. Kansas Avenue. Various speakers will discuss the building addition, which will house a new Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator.
The new linear accelerator will be used for radiation therapy in addition to the linear accelerator already in place at the cancer center. The machine is part of the Varian Medical Systems line of “super” accelerators designed to advance the treatment of lung, breast, prostate, head and neck, and other types of cancer. The image-guided radiotherapy and radiosurgery equipment is designed to treat a moving target with unprecedented speed and accuracy.
Most treatments on the quieter equipment will take just a few minutes each. The machine will allow for a more comfortable patient experience because of less time on the treatment couch and reduced patient motion during treatment. Enhanced communication technology enables constant interaction between the patient and therapist. Three closed-circuit television systems enable the therapist to monitor the patient at all times. Music can be played during treatment to increase patient comfort.
Mark Callahan, Chief Operating Officer at Mary Lanning, said the equipment will add to the excellent care already available at the Morrison Cancer Center. Dr. Thomas Zusag, radiation oncologist; along with Drs. Pornchai Jonglertham and Shamila Garg, oncologists/hematologists; lead a team of outstanding individuals who already give patients and their families special, individualized attention.
“This new equipment is just another, more advanced tool in the fight against cancer,” Callahan said. “Its pinpoint accuracy will help us provide the most technologically advanced care possible.”