Radiation Oncology Brings New Linear Accelerator Online April 23, 2021 Samaritan Cancer Program’s Radiation Oncology Department in Corvallis became the first location in Oregon to bring online the Varian Truebeam Edge, a linear accelerator which offers the most advanced radiation therapy treatment for cancer patients. “The Edge offers high-precision radiosurgery, a form of radiation therapy and a noninvasive alternative to traditional surgery. Essentially no incision is needed,” said Elizabeth Shiner, medical physicist in the Radiation Oncology Department. “The technology improves the accuracy and treatment of tumors that are often difficult to treat surgically, such as tumors in the brain, lung, spine, prostate or elsewhere.” The Edge’s treatment planning software gets “smarter” with each use, offering improved tumor tracking in real-time, which helps minimize radiation to surrounding healthy tissue. “The more information we ‘feed the machine,’ the better each dose calculation and algorithm becomes for each patient’s treatment needs,” said Shiner. Another feature of the new linear accelerator is its surface-guided imaging system. This helps the care team consistently and correctly position each patient on the radiation table during treatment. “This is top-of-the-line technology, and I’m more than excited that Samaritan has taken this step to further enhance an already great program,” said Shiner. “This allows us to provide the best treatment possible to our patients, helping keep them close to home for their cancer care needs.” For more about cancer services, visit samhealth.org/Cancer.
