Radiation technology enhances care at Kelsey-Seybold Cancer Center
Q: What’s the advantage of the Calypso system KelseySeybold acquired? A: “More than previous technology, the Calypso radiotherapy system allows our Oncology clinicians to deliver focused doses of external, high-energy X-rays. This focused radiation more accurately targets, degrades, or destroys cancerous tissue while helping spare surrounding healthy tissue,” says Snehal Desai, M.D., Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic.
Calypso® radiotherapy benefits cancer patients.
Dr. Desai says Varian’s Calypso system provides more precise, tumor-tracking information in “real time.” “This system shows clinicians a tumor’s position 25 times a second. Should a patient have unexpected movements such as coughing, sneezing, or a sudden change in breathing during radiation therapy, the system shuts the radiation beam off,” Dr. Desai explains. “Our therapists can concentrate high doses of radiation to the prostate, for example, while potentially avoiding healthy surrounding tissues, thus reducing undesirable side effects.” Dr. Desai says radiation therapy can be given alone or in combination with other treatments such as surgery or hormone therapy. “The therapy depends on multiple factors, including the type, stage, and location of cancers, as well as a patient’s ability to tolerate radiation,” he says. “During radiation treatments, we see our patients on a weekly basis to help manage side effects.”
Philosophy of patient care.
“At Kelsey-Seybold, we believe in a patient-focused approach that includes a radiation treatment plan unique to each individual’s needs. Our goal is maximizing benefits while minimizing side effects for every patient’s well-being,” concludes Dr. Desai, who oversees Radiation Oncology at Kelsey-Seybold’s Cancer Center located in the Berthelsen Main Campus, near the Texas Medical Center.