THE GOAL SEAL THAT IS THE GOLD STANDARD Another benefit is time — both in terms of the treatment itself and the number of treatments needed. Conventional radiation for patients entails three to six weeks of daily treatments, which often require ample transportation time and schedule disruption. And with surgery, recovery can take weeks to months. But with SRS and SBRT, treatment can usually be done in just one to five sessions that last from 30 to 60 minutes. Dr. Kyler notes that the procedure is quick and painless, offering a high dose of radiation in just a few treatments. Sparing healthy tissues Also, there is minimal damage to the normal, healthy tissues surrounding a tumor, which improves outcomes and minimizes recovery time. Side effects and complications from the treatments are uncommon, Dr. Kyler adds. This treatment option became available at Augusta Health in October 2017, and Dr. Kyler notes that it is already being used for more patients than anticipated and will continue to be a valuable addition to Augusta Health’s oncology options. “This is a cutting-edge approach, and it’s exciting to have it available to our patients,” he says. “With such a powerful technique, we can target tumors with more precision, in a way that’s safe, noninvasive and highly effective.” Augusta Health Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders’ Radiation Oncology Practice Accredited by the American College of Radiology The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality, but this specific Gold Seal is more than a symbol. The American College of Radiology’s seal is also an assurance and a promise—a promise of the highest level of imaging quality and radiation safety at a facility providing radiation oncology therapy to treat cancer. Radiation oncology therapy is the careful use of high-energy radiation to cure cancer or relieve a cancer patient’s pain. Augusta Health Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders is one of only four sites in the Charlottesville metropolitan area that has earned Radiation Oncology Practice Accreditation from the American College of Radiology (ACR). What does this accreditation mean? It means that: • Augusta Health’s Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders has voluntarily gone through a very rigorous review by the ACR to ensure that it meets the nationally-accepted standards of care; • The staff at the Center are well-qualified, through their education and certifications, to perform medical imaging, interpret the images and administer radiation oncology therapy treatments; and • The equipment is appropriate for any test or treatment its patients will receive and that the facility meets or exceeds all quality assurance and safety guidelines. So the Gold Seal, while small, represents a big effort by the physicians and staff to provide the highest level of care possible. 5 AUGUSTA HEALTH • CANCER PROGRAM ANNUAL REPORT
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