Respiratory Gating Therapy

Sometimes a tumor is located in or near the chest cavity. Until now, treatment meant using a wide radiation beam aimed at the tumor, resulting in a loss of good tissue while destroying the cancerous cells.

The Holzer Center for Cancer Care, located at 170 Jackson Pike in Gallipolis, is proud to offer respiratory gating, an advanced cancer treatment technique for cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.

Unlike traditional CT scans (three-dimensional) and x-rays (two-dimensional), respiratory gating brings a fourth dimension to radiation therapy treatment by making it possible to place radiation beams precisely and track the position of tumors that move when a patient breathes. As a result, these precisely placed beams can be focused to carefully target cancer cells without harming surrounding healthy tissue.

Before respiratory gating, margins of anywhere from three to five centimeters were used around a tumor to ensure adequate coverage, allowing radiation beams to kill not only cancerous tissues, but surrounding healthy tissues as well. Respiratory gating allows this margin to be decreased by pinpointing exactly where a tumor is located, even when it is moved due to natural breathing motions. The result is a more exact beam to eliminate cancerous tissues while sparing as much healthy tissue as possible.

“Respiratory gating is the most advanced and powerful non-invasive technique for treating cancer today,” said Ken Moore, Executive Director of the Holzer Center for Cancer Care. “We have the ability to successfully treat cancerous tissues with pinpoint accuracy and spare as much healthy tissue surrounding the tumor as we can. We are proud to offer a wonderful group of compassionate and competent staff who are trained to provide quality cancer care with the most advanced technology that is provided in the United States today.”

Clinicians at the HCCC use the SmartBeam® IMRT system and Clinac® medical linear accelerator from Varian Medical System to treat patients with prostate, breast, head and neck, lung, pancreatic, and other cancers. The machine stands approximately nine feet tall by nearly 15 feet long and weighs about 18,700 pounds. It generates high energy X-rays by using microwave energy to accelerate electrons to nearly the speed of light. As the electrons reach maximum speed, they collide with a metal target to release photons (or X-rays). The accelerator rotates around the patient to deliver the radiation treatments from nearly any angle.

The linear accelerator is outfitted with an important accessory called a multi-leaf collimator. This device, which has 120 computer-controlled mechanical “leaves” or “fingers”, is used to shape the beam of radiation so that it conforms to the three-dimensional shape of the tumor.

The HCCC is also equipped with special software that makes it possible for clinicians to plan, simulate, and deliver IMRT and other kinds of ultra-precise cancer care.

The HCCC is a joint venture of Holzer Medical Center and Holzer Clinic located at 170 Jackson Pike in Gallipolis, just in front of the Hospital, and opened its doors for patients in March 2005. In addition to high tech radiation oncology services, the HCCC features medical oncology, including a chemotherapy suite that overlooks the Center’s Healing Garden that includes a walking labyrinth, reflecting pool and benches for resting and meditation, as well as an American Cancer Society Cancer Resource Center, Navigator and Appearance Center. In May 2006, the Center announced its affiliation with The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

Please don’t hesitate Contact Holzer Center for Cancer Care for more information on Respiratory Gating, or call 740 446-5474.

Return to Top