Yuma Regional Cancer Center adds new machines to help treat cancer patients
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY)- The Yuma Regional Cancer Center recently celebrated their 10 year anniversary and are now celebrating their new radiation machine that they say will help them treat more cancer patients.
The cancer center says the Varian TrueBeam Linear accelerator machine is the latest state of the art in radiation technology. They are bringing not one but two of these machines to the local community.
One medical director explains why it's important to have this type of technology
"This will allow us to deliver radiation for cancer therapy in a precise and fast manner. We have the ability to be accurate within 1 millimeter utilizing this technology," said YRMC medical director of radiation oncology Robert Takesuye.
Victor Espinoza is a Yuma Regional Cancer Center patient who uses the device. He says he likes how fast the device works and how it keeps him safe.
"It takes only six minutes and you’re out of the station. You don't feel nothing. It’s good. It’s just amazing," said Victor. "It’s very precise, and it’s very accurate. And also it's so I don’t damage the healthy tissues around the tumor.”
The machine rotates and provides radiation beams shaped to match patient's tumor size, shape and position.
In 2022, the center says they provided over 17,000 radiation oncology procedures. Now, with these two new machines, they say they’re looking forward to helping even more patients.
"The planning was there for years, but over the last 2-3 years, as the demands of the community were increasing, we decided to get the second two machines, and now we will be very able to support all the needs of the community," said Yuma Regional Cancer Center Medical Director Abhinav Chandra.
They say having two machines will allow redundancy and a backup to stay prepared. They're planning to have their second machine at the beginning of this month.
