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New Technology Improves
Cancer Treatment at Caldwell Memorial Hospital

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) comes to The Allene Broyhill Stevens Heilman Radiation Oncology Center, a division of CMH, just nine months after the center opened last spring. “IMRT is a special technology that contours the radiation beams used to treat cancer into three-dimensional forms. This allows us to better target the cancerous cells while isolating the body’s healthy tissues,” says Dr. Ted Yaeger, Associate Professor at Wake Forest University and Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at Caldwell Memorial Hospital. “IMRT helps us deliver some of the most precise radiation therapy available.”

By using a unique block system, IMRT at Caldwell Memorial Hospital is special even among IMRT treatment sites. With this system, doctors at Caldwell Memorial can vary the shape and the intensity of the radiation beams, which allows for greater accuracy when treating tumors.

“This type of IMRT is especially beneficial for patients who have tumors that are difficult to treat, such as those of the esophagus, pancreas, lungs, prostate, eye, and brain,” Dr. Yaeger says. “These tumors are difficult to treat without IMRT because protecting the delicate surrounding tissue is extremely important. IMRT allows us to deliver the radiation very precisely. Our patients’ health is top priority, so we are very pleased to be able to offer this technology to them.”