Murfreesboro, TN — Middle Tennessee Medical Center (MTMC) recently opened its new, state-of-the-art cancer center. The Cancer Center at MTMC is now in the Seton Medical Office Building located at 1840 Medical Center Parkway, adjacent to the new hospital. The facility has its own dedicated entrance and is conveniently located in the same building as Tennessee Oncology, the Center for Breast Health at MTMC and Middle Tennessee Imaging-Murfreesboro.

"When patients hear they have cancer, the news can be devastating," said Dr. John Barton, a medical oncologist with MTMC and Tennessee Oncology. "Every patient's cancer is different, and our goal is to offer the best treatment plan possible. Having the newest therapies and technology helps us provide more customized and advanced treatment. And, it's closer to home, here in Rutherford County."

The Cancer Center at MTMC includes:

• A new large bore Philips CT scanner that allows imaging for every size patient

• Two new Varian linear accelerators, made possible in part by the Christy-Houston Foundation, that offer more precise targeting for radiation therapy, the capability for respiratory gating (adjusting radiation according to the patient's breathing cycles) and the capability for stereotactic radiosurgery

Large bore CT scanners obtain detailed images of areas inside the body for cancer diagnosis and radiation treatment planning. This advanced imaging technology combines stimulation, fluoroscopy and respiratory gating to plan and deliver radiation treatment with a high level of precision.

Oncologists use the information gathered by the scan to create the patient's customized treatment plan. The large bore CT scanner is advantageous because it has a large opening to accurately scan patients of all sizes and in various positions. It accurately pinpoints tumor locations while monitoring tumor motion to guide a variety of interventional procedures.

With the new linear accelerators, MTMC oncologists can treat all tissues or organs of the body affected by cancer tumors. The technology delivers high-energy x-rays to the region of the patient's tumor more precisely.

"These are cutting-edge linear accelerators," said Dr. Charles Wendt, a radiation oncologist with MTMC and Tennessee Oncology. "The benefit to the patient is that we can deliver radiation to eliminate the tumor while minimizing the amount of healthy tissue exposed to the radiation."

Radiation treatment is a fast, painless outpatient procedure and typically lasts only a few minutes. It is typically administered over a period of six to eight weeks, typically five days a week.

"Dealing with cancer is tough. Our goal is to help cure it while offering better access, convenience and compassionate care," said Gordon B. Ferguson, president and CEO of MTMC. "An advanced cancer center is critical as patients are referred to us from across our region. It's great to see the center come to completion with collaboration from our physicians and the support of the Christy-Houston Foundation."

MTMC's cancer program is one of just 90 nationwide to receive the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Commission on Cancer.