Cancer Center Debuts New Life-Saving Technology
Middlesex Hospital Cancer Center recently introduced new technology called the Deep Inspiration Breath-Hold Technique, which optimizes the delivery of radiation treatments, while improving overall outcomes for breast cancer patients.
Breast cancer is the No. 1 cancer in women, and there are 250,000 new breast cancer cases each year in the United States.
Dr. Anwar Khan, chair of Middlesex Hospital’s Radiation Oncology Department, says the Deep Inspiration Breath-Hold Technique helps to keep radiation away from the heart for women with cancer in their left breast. The machine does so by synchronizing a patient’s breathing cycle. When there is a deep breath, the heart and breast tissue are further apart. As a result, radiation oncologists can send a beam of radiation toward the breast tissue without impacting the heart.
The Deep Inspiration Breath-Hold Technique is now being used at both Cancer Center locations. The center has locations in Westbrook and Middletown.
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