Hudner Oncology Center Completes $4.8 Million Expansion

11/19/2008

Fall River, MA – Patients undergoing radiation therapy as part of their cancer treatment now have access to the Fall River-New Bedford region’s most advanced technology at Saint Anne's Hospital.

A 750-foot expansion of the Hudner Oncology Center at Saint Anne’s Hospital, open since early October, houses an all-new linear accelerator, a high-powered device used to deliver radiation therapy for certain cancers.  It is equipped with advanced technology called image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), which uses special tools to localize the area being treated and verifies how treatment was delivered to the tumor.  It is one of two linear accelerators at the Hudner Oncology Center.

What is IGRT?

IGRT differs from other forms of radiation therapy in that it is especially effective in treating tumors that may move with normal breathing, such as in the chest or abdomen.  According to manufacturer Varian Medical Systems, IGRT compares images taken just prior to a patient’s daily therapy with treatment plans designed by their radiation oncologists.  The difference between images is calculated so that the patient is accurately positioned for the most precise dosage and the area being treated. 

The new facility also includes a specially designated entrance for patients who arrive by ambulance.  The cost of the project, which was designed by TRO Jung|Brannen, of Boston, and constructed by Consigli Construction Company, of Milford, MA, was approximately $4.8 million.  It has been underwritten in part by the Friends of Saint Anne’s Hospital, which pledged $500,000 for the project.  The Friends’ pledge is its third $500,000 commitment to the hospital since 1999.

Continuing a history of progressive cancer care

The new linear accelerator with IGRT is the latest advancement in Saint Anne’s commitment to providing access to proven cancer care treatment. 

Since its inception in 1976, Saint Anne’s Hospital’s regional cancer care program has seen progressive growth in its services, technology and facilities.  In keeping with its commitment to provide high-quality cancer care, Saint Anne’s has, in the past six years alone, added numerous therapies and technologies that are the first and only of their kind in the region and, in many cases, formerly available only in academic medical centers.  These include:
• Three-dimensional computed tomography (3-D CT) radiation treatment planning (2002).  This technology enables physicians and physicists to precisely plan therapy for cancers of the breast, prostate, head and neck, lung, and brain by reducing radiation damage to normal tissue while specifically targeting cancer cells.
• A new linear accelerator featuring Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) (2003).  An advanced treatment technology formerly available primarily at large academic facilities, IMRT precisely treats certain hard-to-treat cancers, including those of the prostate and head and neck, while sparing normal tissue. 
• The area’s first Positron Emission Tomography (PET) (2003). This imaging technology is valued for its precise diagnosis of certain cancers.  Additionally equipped with CT since 2006, PET/CT creates images of metabolic activity in the body, while CT scans create images of anatomical structures.
• Gold seeds, also known as “fiducial markers” (2005).  Used for prostate cancer treatment, gold seed technology uses rice-sized markers that allow radiation oncologists use to precisely target a tumor for IMRT, make daily adjustments, and increase effectiveness of therapy. 
• High-dose-rate (HDR) radiation therapy (2007).  This type of radiation treatment, delivered internally via catheter over five days instead of the more traditional six weeks required in most external therapy, is used in the treatment of gynecological and very early breast cancers.
• Medical Oncology facility expands (2007) to include a 6,500-square-foot “Suite II” to accommodate the growing number of patient consultations, exams, follow-up visits, and related care.

Looking forward

Currently, construction also is underway for Saint Anne’s all-new radiation therapy facility in Dartmouth, MA.  Clinical services at the Dartmouth location will include those currently available at Hudner, as well as stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for the treatment of brain and other neurological disorders.  SRS uses a precise delivery of a single, high dose of radiation that is delivered to a specific area of the brain to treat abnormalities, tumors or functional disorders.  Scheduled to open in mid-2009, the new center will occupy 18,000 square feet of a new 42,000-square-foot building being constructed at 565 Faunce Corner Road. 

About our cancer services

All of Saint Anne’s radiation therapy services are provided by expert radiation specialists.  These include board-certified radiation oncology physicians who also are affiliated with Dana-Farber/Partners Cancer Care and serve on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, as well as a team of highly trained medical physicists, dosimetrists, nurses certified in oncology and/or wound and ostomy care, nutrition specialists, social workers, chaplains, and outreach professionals.

Since 1976, the Hudner Oncology Center at Saint Anne’s Hospital has been dedicated to combining the expertise of university cancer centers with access within the community setting.  The center, which provides more than $700,000 annually in care to those unable to pay, provides care to more than 5,800 patients annually.  Accredited with commendation by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons as a comprehensive community cancer program, the Hudner Oncology Center is staffed by physicians who are board-certified in hematology-medical oncology and radiation oncology, plus a team of more than 75 professionals who together provide:
• chemotherapy and advanced radiation therapy
• access to emerging therapies through dozens of national clinical trials through the National Cancer Institute and Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare
• a full range of patient and family education and support programs, free cancer screening activities, and community education
• radiation oncology and support services in Dartmouth, MA, and consultation services in Newport, RI.

Click here for additional information about Saint Anne’s Hospital cancer care program.

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Saint Anne’s Hospital is a community hospital with comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services, serving southeastern Massachusetts and nearby Rhode Island.  Specialized services include oncology, pediatrics, orthopedics, diabetes, rehabilitation, cardiac care, behavioral medicine, and pain management.  Founded in 1906 by the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation, who continue to co-sponsor the hospital, Saint Anne's Hospital is a member of Caritas Christi Health Care, the second largest not-for-profit health system in New England.