Hope rings out for cancer survivors treated with IMRT
A calm comes over the busy halls as people quietly gather around. William Fox of Mt. Laurel reads aloud: "Ring this bell, three times well, the toll to clearly say: My treatment's done. This course is run. And I am on my way."
He reaches up and rings the bell three times.
Overcome with emotion, he embraces Dorothy, his wife of 57 years, as the sound from the bell echoes through the halls. The group erupts with congratulations and hugs.
The physicians, nurses and technicians that make up the crowd have heard the sound of the bell before. It's a tradition that signifies another completed cycle of radiation therapy. Eighty-six-year-old Fox has prostate cancer and has just finished his final round of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) at Virtua Memorial Hospital.
IMRT is the latest, most advanced radiation therapy available. Radiation oncologists use it to kill cancer cells with radiation beams from several different angles. Advanced computer systems break each beam into several smaller beams called beamlets. The technicians can control, or modulate, the strength of each beamlet to direct the radiation dose away from normal tissue in a way that is impossible with traditional techniques.
"We use IMRT for hard-to-reach cancers such as head and neck, prostate, cervical and even breast," explains
Lemuel Ariaratnam, MD, chief radiation oncologist at Fox Chase Virtua Health Cancer Program in Mt. Holly. "IMRT allows us to target the tumor precisely with a higher dose of radiation. This limits the normal tissue exposed to radiation and decreases complications."
Even with IMRT, it takes a large amount of radiation to kill cancer cells, too much for your body to handle at once. So the total radiation needed is divided into smaller, safer daily doses.
Fox received treatments five mornings a week for nine weeks, the typical IMRT treatment plan for prostate cancer. "It became a part of my daily routine," describes Fox. "Every morning, I would get out of bed at 5:15 am, catch up on the news and wait for Virtua's van to take me to my appointment."
Since IMRT is painless and each session only lasts 15 to 20 minutes, many people are able to maintain normal routines. "I can't feel a thing when I'm having my treatments," says Fox. "When I'm finished, the van brings me home where my wife is waiting with breakfast."
Fox isn't new to Virtua. "Virtua Health physicians helped me win my battle with colon cancer four years ago," explains Fox. "Naturally, I was scared when I found out that I now have prostate cancer. But it has been comforting to know I can receive such high-level care close to home and from the physicians I know."