At MRO, cancer patients are treated with the latest in cancer-fighting radiation technology and today, state-of-the-art radiation therapy is more precise and effective than ever. Treatment is delivered using a linear accelerator (LINAC machine) that delivers pinpoint accuracy measured in submillimeters. But along with all the high technology, one of the most important components to patient healing is a high dose of compassion. And the radiation therapists at MRO are as expert at empathy as they are with the complex technology they operate.
The journey through cancer treatment can be an emotional time for patients. Emily Monson, radiation therapist at MRO | Ridges in Burnsville, says, “One of the most important things patients should know is that they are not alone on this journey. The staff at MRO are not only here to provide expert care, but also provide support and comfort while you are going through this difficult time”.
Nicole Newsom, a radiation therapist at MRO | Ridgeview in Waconia, adds,” We will treat you with compassion and walk each patient through the entire process from start to finish. We strive to make this part of their cancer journey as pleasant as possible.”
Therapists are right there in the treatment room with patients. Monson says, “We’re there explaining the process and answering questions for the patient, while making sure treatment is accurate and the patient is comfortable. The care that we provide helps turn fear into confidence.”
Varian TrueBeam is a state-of-the-art radiation therapy linear accelerator that delivers volumetric arc therapy (VMAT). HyperArc is an automated treatment delivery paradigm, which aims radiation at tumors from a variety of beam angles. This way, the specialists at MRO can deliver a high dose of radiation to the tumor with pinpoint accuracy, minimizing the dose to the surrounding healthy normal tissue.
Once a patient is positioned for treatment, it only takes a few minutes to deliver the radiation, depending on the number of targets. For brain cancer patients, HyperArc allows the clinical team at MRO to irradiate multiple tumors at the same time without the need to reposition the patient. Nicole Newsom notes, “Treatment time is a fraction of what it used to be with this new technology. Before, it would take 30 minutes to deliver treatment to one target in the brain, now we can treat a number of targets in the same amount of time.”
Emily Monson sums it up, “This state-of-the-art technology allows us to deliver a faster, more comfortable patient experience.” When our patients have a better experience, we do, too. That makes it easier to simply focus on care. And at MRO, that’s what we’re all about.
