For Immediate Release
March 20, 2007

 BUFFALO, NY – Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) is the first treatment center in Western New York to use the new Trilogy™ system for image-guided, stereotactic radiosurgery to treat patients with cancers of the spine. Dheerendra Prasad, MD, Director of Neuro- & Pediatric Radiation Medicine, RPCI, will supervise the delivery of this new treatment option which offers hope to patients who have limited treatment options.          

“In the past, stereotactic radiosurgery has been used primarily to treat tumors in the brain,” said Dr. Prasad. “The Trilogy™ system extends delivery of ultra-precise high doses of radiation to small areas on the spine and other organs outside the brain. This allows for treatment of tumors close to critical structures, such as the spinal cord, while protecting healthy tissue. Furthermore, these treatments are done over a period of days, rather than weeks, making the process more patient friendly.”  

The Trilogy™ system coordinates the use of several new technologies including a high-powered medical linear accelerator, a machine that rotates around the patient to deliver radiation treatments from nearly every angle; a multi-leaf collimator that shapes the radiation beam to match the three-dimensional configuration of the tumor; and an On-Board Imager™ for fast, accurate, real-time tumor tracking and automated patient positioning.

“Roswell Park has invested significantly in the training of its technical staff to assure that the new state-of-the-art technology will be applied safely and accurately,” noted Matthew Podgorsak, PhD, Chief Physicist, RPCI.

The Trilogy™ system offers greater patient comfort and reduced treatment times. Outpatients typically can be treated over three to five days rather than the six weeks normally required with conventional radiotherapy.

 “Image-guided therapies are becoming the new standard of care. We are pleased to be offering the most advanced forms of treatment to patients from Western New York and beyond,” said Michael Kuettel, PhD, MD, MBA, Chair of the Department of Radiation Medicine, RPCI.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. Roswell Park has affiliate sites and collaborative programs in New York, Pennsylvania, and in China. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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