Our Technology

The Center for Cancer Treatment & Prevention at Sacred Heart Hospital offers sophisticated radiation therapies, such as IMRT, which can treat tumors previously considered untreatable. Our state-of-the-art technologies and therapies enable our talented physicians, caring nurses, dedicated therapists and expert staff to target and treat your cancer and help you on your road to recovery. Our medical staff will work with you to tailor your treatment options to best meet your individual needs.

Linear Accelerator
A linear accelerator is a machine used to administer radiation therapy. It uses electricity to form a beam of high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors.

Early linear accelerators greatly changed the way radiation was delivered. However, with earlier models it was difficult to accurately sculpt the radiation beam to match the shape of the tumor. The introduction of the multi-leaf collimator has revolutionized the way our center treats cancer. Multi-leaf collimation is a set of 120 tungsten fingers – or leaves – that are each driven independently. This computer-controlled device enables us to manipulate the radiation beam to whatever shape we need in order to best treat your tumor.

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is the most accurate form of radiation therapy available. IMRT utilizes 3-D planning software, computerized dose calculations and computer controlled multi-leaf collimation to create a combination of complex radiation beams. 

When combined, these beams can precisely and safely target a high dose of radiation to the tumor while sparing healthy tissues. Simply stated, this translates into greater cancer cell destruction with fewer negative side effects and complications.

Sacred Heart Hospital has been using this advanced technology since 2004, making us the most experienced IMRT team in the area.

Three-Dimensional Treatment Planning and Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy (3-D CRT)
At Sacred Heart Hospital, we have the ability to use digital diagnostic images to obtain a detailed 3-D description of your internal anatomy. This information is used in conjunction with our specialized treatment planning software to create 3-D models of the tumor volume and any organs or structures that need to be protected from the radiation beam.  Together, this information is used to create an individualized plan for your treatment delivery. Using this plan, the radiation treatment is delivered from several different directions. This enables the necessary amount of radiation to be given to the tumor while reducing the amount of radiation given to the healthy tissues and organs surrounding it. 

As a result of this specialized planning, the severity of side effects and complications from radiation therapy are dramatically decreased.

Brachytherapy
In addition to external beam radiation therapy, Sacred Heart Hospital offers radioactive prostate seed implants as a treatment option for some early stage prostate tumors.

The procedure is performed in a specially-equipped operating room under general anesthesia by the radiation oncologist and a urologist. Using ultrasound guidance, needles are inserted through the skin into the prostate and removed, leaving behind tiny radioactive seeds. The seeds are made of a material that is compatible with body tissues and do not need to be removed. These remain indefinitely in the prostate, but are only radioactive for several months.

This method of treating prostate cancer allows the delivery of high doses of radiation to the prostate gland, while minimizing the amount of radiation to surrounding tissues.  Instead of taking weeks of daily therapy, patients receiving prostate seed implants can usually leave the hospital on the same day as the procedure. The surgery is minimally invasive allowing most patients to resume normal activities with 48 hours. In addition, the procedure carries little risk of long-term side effects paving the way for the patient to carry on the same quality of life previously enjoyed.

Clinical Research
The medical oncologists of Marshfield Clinic Cancer Care offer access to clinical trials through the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation.

Clinical trials are designed to compare the best practice known with another treatment or technique that could be better. By bringing the latest in treatment options to patients and providing access to innovative new treatments before they are available elsewhere, clinical trials can improve the quality of your life while leading to discoveries that improve the lives of future generations.

Having access to the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation makes it possible for our patients to participate in clinical research while staying closer to home and working with healthcare professionals they have come to know and trust.