A new linear accelerator has been installed at the Don and Dana Myers Cancer Center, offering expanded radiation oncology services to patients locally and with greater convenience.

The Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator is one of the most advanced therapies available, according to a news release from Schneck Medical Center in Seymour. This high-precision radiotherapy system is equipped with integrated hardware and software systems that allow for optimal imaging techniques at speeds much quicker than before.

One of the many benefits of the TrueBeam is shorter treatment times, as it delivers precise dosage quickly leading to less interruption of patients’ daily lives. The more integrated system allows Schneck to decrease the amount of time the patient spends in the cancer center for radiation. Faster treatment times also allow for reduced chance of tumor motion during treatment, which makes delivery more accurate and decreases unwanted exposure to healthy tissue.

TrueBeam’s improved imaging techniques also allows for increased visibility and faster acquisition.

The linear accelerator also offers stereotactic radiosurgery, a minimally invasive, nonsurgical therapy for small metastatic tumors of the brain involving the use of a single high dose of radiation delivered with pinpoint accuracy to the tumor, and respiratory deep inspiration breath hold, a radiation therapy technique for breast cancer treatment to spare doses to the heart and lungs.

Previously, patients had to travel to other facilities to receive these types of treatments.

For information, visit schneckmed.org.