NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (CNS)—Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian has acquired new technology to give physicians a real-time view of tumors during radiation treatment, one of the first in the nation with the treatment, officials said Dec. 7.
The ViewRay MRIdian can give physicians a view of tumors in difficult spots to target such as the pancreas, lungs, and other soft tissue, hospital officials said. The better view of the tumors during radiation treatment will help doctors better target the tumors.
Dr. Craig Cox, medical director of Hoag Radiation Oncology, said, “Our bodies move constantly. Our lungs move as we breathe, our diaphragms contract and relax. And any tumor or adjacent organ shifts accordingly.
“With real-time MRI-guided therapy, we now can hit a moving target with exact precision. We can see the target, we can see the critical normal tissue want to avoid and we make adjustments to the treatment plan while the patient is being treated.”
Writer Dean Koontz and his wife, Gerda, donated $9 million to support the acquisition of the new technology.
