By Rob Ollikainen
Peninsula Daily News
SEQUIM — Olympic Medical Center has launched a high-tech weapon to fight cancer with precise, high doses of radiation.
OMC went live with its $2.7 million Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator Tuesday at the Thomas Family Cancer Center at 844 N. Fifth Ave., Sequim.
The machine is the only linear accelerator on the North Olympic Peninsula.
Hospital officials said the TrueBeam is the most advanced linear accelerator on the market.
It delivers radiation doses 40 percent to 140 percent stronger than earlier versions of the Varian Medical Systems equipment, they said.
The next-closest TrueBeam in the U.S. is located at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, Calif.
“That speaks volumes,” said Dr. Rena Zimmerman, director of radiation oncology at OMC.
“We are among the cream of the crop with radiation therapy options,” she said.
“Our neighbors with cancer who need radiotherapy do not need to travel farther than Sequim to receive powerful and advanced treatment.”
OMC officials described the technology as “a game changer” for the treatment of lung, breast, head and neck, abdomen, liver and other forms of cancer.
The TrueBeam’s “Gated RapidArc” technology makes it possible to provide fast treatment with minimal damage to surrounding tissues, OMC officials said.
Respiratory gating on the TrueBeam synchronizes the beam with a patient’s breathing, which Zimmerman described as “the optimal approach for our patients.”
“We can deliver fast and accurate image-guided treatments within just a few minutes per day instead of 10 to 30 minutes,” Zimmerman said.
The new linear accelerator is located in the same building where other cancer services, including medical oncology, are offered.
“A top priority for Olympic Medical Cancer Center is patient comfort,” said Dr. Thomas Kummet, director of the cancer center.
“Patients undergoing cancer treatment spend a significant amount of time here, and we want them to be comfortable, and we want to offer them convenience.
“We are excited to have all our services back under one roof.”
During the four-month installation, OMC treated cancer patients in a temporary vault behind the cancer center.
The old linear accelerator that OMC used for eight years is now treating patients in Mississippi, said John Engstrom, chief radiation therapist.
Zimmerman has compared the difference between the old linear accelerator and the new one to the difference between 35mm film and a digital camera.
Engstrom said there are two hospitals in British Columbia that are in the process of installing the TrueBeam. There are 56 other TrueBeams operating in the world.
Last September, OMC commissioners voted unanimously to approve the purchase of the TrueBeam and the $500,000 temporary vault and linear accelerator that was used during the transition.
A $225,000-per-year maintenance contract for the new linear accelerator runs from 2012 to 2015.
“It is unprecedented for a rural hospital to offer such a robust cancer center with the advanced technology not even offered in the nearest urban center,” said Rhonda Curry, assistant administrator for strategic development.
For more information about cancer services at OMC, visit www.OMCforhope.com.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
