Investing in the future of cancer care

Saving lives with advanced radiation therapy

At Adena Health, we believe our patients deserve the very best—today and for years to come. That’s why we’ve made a bold investment in the future of cancer care with the installation of a second state-of-the-art linear accelerator, bringing faster, safer, and more precise radiation treatments right here to our community.

A linear accelerator is a machine that delivers high-energy radiation beams with pinpoint accuracy to the target and destroys cancer cells. It allows for customized treatment plans that focus on tumors while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.

“Radiation therapy is advancing rapidly, giving us powerful tools to target and destroy tumors while protecting healthy tissue,” says Gregory Thompson, MD, radiation oncologist. “By upgrading our equipment, we are not only improving care today, but also ensuring we are ready to offer the next generation of treatments as they emerge.”

Adena is one of the first providers in southern Ohio to offer three of the most advanced radiation therapy techniques. This gives patients access to cancer treatments that were once only available in major metropolitan areas.

Here’s how these groundbreaking tools are transforming cancer care:

1.  Deep inspiration breath hold – protecting the heart while treating cancer

For patients with left-sided breast cancer, radiation therapy has always carried some risk to the heart. But now, using deep inspiration breath hold, patients hold their breath for just 15–20 seconds, temporarily moving the heart away from the chest wall. This allows radiation to precisely target cancer cells while sparing the heart and dramatically reducing the risk of future heart disease.

2.  Respiratory gated radiotherapy – treating tumors that move

Tumors in areas like the lungs, chest, or abdomen often shift as patients breathe, making them difficult to target. With respiratory gated radiotherapy, advanced software tracks each breath, timing radiation delivery to match natural movement. This means higher accuracy, fewer side effects, and often better outcomes.

3.   Surface-guided radiotherapy – precision, every time

Using sophisticated surface-tracking technology, surface-guided radiotherapy continuously monitors patients during treatment, ensuring pinpoint accuracy throughout every session. This method boosts safety and consistency across treatments for patients with lung, breast, head, and neck cancers.

To learn more about Adena Cancer Center, our expert providers, and the full range of cancer diagnosis and treatment services close to home, visit  Adena.org/cancer or call 740-542-3030.