My City Wellness Spring 2021

My Wellness

Used to fight breast cancer, AccuBoost is a form of radiation therapy that is unique to GHCI. “The Genesys Hurley Cancer Insti tute is the only place in Michigan that offers AccuBoost therapy,” says Dr. Paul Kocheril, Medical Di rector of Radiation Oncology. “It is noninvasive, safer, and a more accurate way to fight breast cancer than other radiation techniques.” AccuBoost is designed to limit the amount of radiation sent to the chest, heart and lungs. It achieves this by delivering radiation parallel to the chest and only to the tumor bed located in the breast. In the procedure, the woman’s breast is compressed between two oval shaped applicators on plexiglass plates using the mammography machine. Radiation is administered vertically to the surgical site and then, horizontally. Next, radia tion is applied in both directions at the same time to apply the full treatment dose. All the while, the radiation is being fine-tuned and targeted by professionals using the mammogram for reference. The procedure is used after the tumor is extracted to reduce the chance of cancer recurrence. “After the tumor has been removed surgically, microscopic tumor cells remain in the area in and around the surgical site,” explains Dr. Kocheril. “Radia tion treatment such as this greatly reduces the odds of recurrence by eliminating those microscopic cells. The precise targeting of radiation in the procedure is more efficient and reduces side effects by focusing solely on the portion of the breast that needs it most.” The procedure is painless with less discomfort than a standard mam mogram. It works best for women

DR. PAUL KOCHERIL AND QUALITY PRACTICE MANAGER, MELISSA FARNEY

Taking the Fight to Breast Cancer ACCUBOOST TREATMENT AT GENESYS HURLEY CANCER INSTITUTE BY PETER HINTERMAN x PHOTOS PROVIDED BY BRETT ROGERS

A joint venture between Ascension Genesys and Hurley Medical Center, the Genesys Hurley Cancer Institute (GHCI) takes pride in its comprehensive treat ment of the deadly disease. “We offer the full gamut of services at GHCI – from medical and radiation treatments to support services such as transportation, fi nancial assistance, support groups, exercise classes, yoga, painting and more,” says Melissa Farney, Quality Practice Manager at the Institute. “We offer free social worker services and a registered

dietician to help patients with their nutritional needs. We want our patients to receive everything they need to recover.” The radiation oncology depart ment at the Institute is second to-none, offering varying proce dures designed to give the patient the best chance of surviving the disease and limiting the chance of recurrence. These include Volu metric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT), Brachytherapy and AccuBoost.

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