Palomar Health Offering More Precise Radiation Treatment

Prior to the opening of the Outpatient Center Escondido on the campus of Palomar Medical Center Escondido, Radiation Oncology Services purchased new equipment, including a $4 million TrueBeam cancer treatment system that offers the latest in technological development.

Palomar Health's Chief Physicist Tammy Unikewicz likened the new equipment to "a miracle," saying that the system can precisely target tumors with higher doses of radiation without distrurbing surrounding healthy tissue in a fraction of the time it used to take. Once a patient is diagnosed with a tumor and a radiation oncologist has prescribed radiation, the patient will go to the CT simulator, which takes precise body measurements and helps the staff program the TrueBeam system to deliver precise treatments.

Once in the treatment room, the patients lie on a surfboard-like table and the system delivers radiation beams shaped to match the size and shape of the tumor utilizing computer-controlled mechanical fingers.

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