Outstanding Cancer Care

Queen of the Valley’s Community Cancer Center is staying at the cutting edge with new treatment technologies, including the cancer-fighting equipment that’s part of the Foundation’s current $2 million fundraising drive.

“Although we’re a small community hospital, we are able to provide care on a par with what university hospitals are doing,” says the center’s chief therapist, Michael Mulvey.

A CT simulator that creates amazingly detailed three-dimensional pictures of tumors inside the body is the latest addition to the Community Cancer Center’s array of high-tech equipment. The only other hospitals in the region with CT simulators are the University of California’s Stanford and Davis teaching facilities.

“Our old simulator, which is the type most hospitals use, took x-rays that showed bone but not much detail for soft tissue,” Mike explains. “Now we can get very detailed information. This marks a huge step forward in radiation treatment and patient care. ”

The Foundation is close to completing its drive to buy two additional pieces of equipment for the center. A device for prostate brachytherapy, providing treatment for the most common cancer diagnosis in men, is highly effective but causes fewer debilitating side effects than traditional surgical treatment.

A multileaf collimator will replace the heavy hand-cut lead blocks used to shield non-cancerous tissue from radiation with a computer-driven, very precise shield of lead “leaves.” By allowing radiation oncologists to deliver more doses of radiation from several different directions within a shorter time, the collimator also helps increase the positive effects of radiation treatment while diminishing side effects.

Together with the CT simulator, these devices will help the Queen’s physicians design cancer treatments with greater precision than ever before. “And the more precise these tools allow us to be,” says Mike, “the better it is for patients.”

For example, images from the simulator will help physicians map out the best ways of hitting a tumor with radiation from multiple directions while minimizing radiation to the rest of the area. The collimator will use that information to shield healthy tissue and focus the radiation dose with pinpoint accuracy. The simulator will also help doctors determine the optimum way to position the radioactive “seeds” that brachytherapy implants into the prostate gland.

The hospital was able to afford the $800,000 CT simulator, but not the additional $635,000 needed to acquire the brachytherapy and multileaf collimator. Thanks to the Foundation, physicians at the Cancer Center will soon be able to use all these important tools.

“Modern cancer care requires a community effort,” says James Knister, M.D., medical director for radiation therapy at the Cancer Center. “As progress in cancer treatment accelerates, purchase of new equipment is continually underway. The support of the Foundation and the community has made a state-of-the-art cancer diagnosis and treatment center a reality in Napa.”