Comprehensive Technology

At Reid Cancer Center, doctors use the most sophisticated technology available and tailor their treatment plans to each patient's specific needs. Cancer patients have everything they need to fight the disease close to home and conveniently located, right here in Richmond.

Molecular Therapy and Immunotherapy

In the new era of Medical Oncology defined by unprecedented advances in precision medicine, the Reid Cancer Center strives to provide all patients the most cutting edge treatments involving immunotherapy and molecularly targeted medical therapy. At our center, treatment for patients is guided by studying their cancers at a molecular level .The molecular findings of a patient's tumor is discussed in a conference involving physicians and molecular biologists. This helps us personalize treatment for each individual patient. Through this approach, patients get access to immunotherapy and targeted medications that otherwise they may not be able to obtain. We also provide access to promising clinical trials at our campus; and we also collaborate with major academic institutions across the country to provide each patient the most personalized care possible.

Radiation Therapy

Reid Cancer Center offers sophisticated radiation therapy technologies, including image-guided radiation therapy, brachytherapy and Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation. These technologies allow doctors to target the cancer while sparing healthy tissues and organs and minimizing side effects. Your doctor will talk with you about which therapy is right for you.

In 2011, Reid acquired TrueBeamTM, an innovative system that represents the next generation of image-guided radiation therapy. TrueBeam delivers precise beams of radiation, while monitoring and compensating for tumor motion. Also, treatment sessions are much faster with TrueBeamTM a session that once took 10 to 30 minutes can now be completed in less than two minutes once the patient is in position. This means a more comfortable experience for the patient.

Reid physicians also utilize an iX linear accelerator to deliver image-guided radiation therapy. This non-invasive technology delivers a targeted, high dose of radiation with minimal damage to healthy tissues.

Reid Cancer Center also offers brachytherapy, in which a radioactive source is placed temporarily inside the body, close to the tumor. For many patients with cancer of the breast, uterus or cervix, this is an excellent option.

Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI) is sometimes recommended for breast cancer patients who are diagnosed in the early stages of the disease. APBI allows women to receive radiation therapy in five days rather than over the course of several weeks. Radiation is targeted so that minimal radiation is delivered to healthy tissue. APBI is recommended for some women who have undergone a lumpectomy (surgery to remove a cancerous tumor).

For more information about MammoSite 5-day Targeted Radiation Therapy, go to the MammoSite website.

Surgery

When surgery is needed to remove a cancerous tumor, Reid cancer patients have several options. Many opt for laparoscopic or traditional open surgery; others can benefit from the newest minimally invasive form of surgery available today: da Vinci® Surgical System. This system puts the surgeons' hands at the controls of a state-of-the-art robotic platform, allowing them to perform even the most complex and delicate procedures through very small incisions with unmatched precision. It can be used to treat urological, gynecologic, kidney and lung cancers. Benefits of laparoscopic and robotic surgery include significantly less pain, less blood loss and scarring, a shorter recovery time and, in many cases, a better outcome.

For additional information on Reid's surgical procedures or our minimally invasive da Vinci® Surgical System, contact your doctor or call (765) 983-3042.

Wound healing

Reid Cancer Center offers a comprehensive wound care program for patients with non-healing wounds and injuries to the skin or internal organs that can be a complication of certain cancer treatments.

Certain cancer patients benefit from hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy. It works by surrounding the patient with 100% oxygen at higher than normal atmospheric pressure in multiple sessions that last 90 minutes to two hours. This increases the amount of oxygen in the blood, to aid in healing chronic wounds and injuries to internal organs that can be a complication of certain cancer treatments.

For more information, call (765) 983-3300 Monday through Friday, 8 am - 4:30 pm. To schedule an appointment, you or your doctor can call (765) 983-3358.