High-Tech Cancer Care

Nearly every month, it seems, we see another headline announcing a chemotherapy breakthrough in the fight against cancer.

Alongside progress in the medical treatment of cancer, a revolution in technology has resulted in equally extraordinary advances. “New technology has enhanced cancer diagnosis, decreased surgical side effects and facilitated administration of radiotherapy to deep-seated tumors,” says Nancy Boutin, M.D., medical director at Salem Cancer Institute. “And, they’re right here in Salem.”

Here is a brief description of some of the best high-tech tools to diagnose, or rule out, potential cancers, or to treat them:

Diagnostic tools
Digital mammography

• Shorter exam times
• Less discomfort than traditional mammography
• Gives radiologists a clear view of all breast tissue, even in women with dense breasts, which has led to better detection of early cancers in women younger than 50
• Results can be sent to other physicians electronically

Breast MRI

• Evaluates abnormal mammograms without surgery, answering questions such as whether a lump is benign or malignant
• May be used for screening or follow-up of cancers not seen on mammograms
• May reveal additional unseen cancers in one or both breasts prior to lumpectomy
• Can help distinguish between scar tissue and recurrent tumor
• Evaluates the extent of cancer within a breast or armpit
• May help distinguish between an invasive cancer and one confined to the milk ducts

PET/CT

• Is noninvasive
• Helps identify cancers—scans the entire body for tissues that use a lot of sugar; rapidly growing cells, including cancers, show up as “hot”
• Allows physicians to see a patient’s anatomy (CT) and internal biologic functioning (PET) to evaluate the extent of disease
• Helps surgeons and radiation oncologists plan and deliver treatment with greater accuracy
• May help a physician see if treatment is killing the cancer

Fine-needle aspiration with cytological evaluation

• Allows nearly painless biopsy of any mass
• Does not require anesthesia or pain medication
• May eliminate the need for surgical biopsy
• Cytological review requires much less time than a standard biopsy

High-tech treatment
High-dose-rate brachytherapy

• Requires much less time than traditional internal radiation treatments
• Delivers high-dose internal radiation therapy in an outpatient setting
• Removes risk of blood clots caused by long periods of inactivity necessary for traditional implants that require hospitalization
• May be used in emergency settings, like airway blockage by cancer
• Eliminates healthcare workers exposure to radiation

Partial breast irradiation with Mammosite delivery system

• Treats appropriately selected early breastcancer patients in one week instead of six
• Limits radiation to the surgical cavity and immediately surrounding tissue
• Reduces risk of radiation-related changes in nearby normal structures, such as the lungs
• Is still investigational
• Is available to women involved in the NSABP cancer research study and patients who meet specific criteria

Tomotherapy

• Delivers high-dose internal radiation therapy in an outpatient setting
• Combines CT imaging with radiation therapy in one machine
• Provides precise treatment delivery with daily visualization of internal anatomy
• Allows daily adjustment for internal motion
• Allows physicians to change the treatment area as tumor shrinks
• Decreases the radiation dose to surrounding normal tissue
• Reduces short- and long-term side effects of radiation
• Facilitates treatment to difficult-to-reach areas and tumors adjacent to critical structures

da Vinci minimally invasive robotic surgery system

• Makes major cancer surgery possible through tiny incisions
• Surgeons have a 3-D view of a patient’s anatomy thanks to fiber optic cameras
• Better control of surgical instruments via robotic arms with a greater range of motion than human wrists
• Better ergonomics for surgical staff means less fatigue
• Shorter recovery time for patients
• Less normal tissue damage

Thanks to the Salem Hospital Foundation
The Foundation, through support from the community, has provided funding for many pieces of equipment for the hospital, including digital mammography, the da Vinci robotic surgery system and tomotherapy. Last year, the Foundation provided $900,000 in support of a number of hospital services. Estate gifts, such as the Fred and Eleanor Lamport bequest used to purchase the da Vinci robot for more than $2 million, continue to support the hospital and community, generations after the gifts are made.

Go to www.salemhospitalfoundation.org or call 503-561-5293 to learn more about the Foundation.