Advanced Cancer Fighting Technology

As part of Advocate Condell Medical Center's commitment to providing the most advanced treatment to cancer patients in Lake County, we offer some of the latest diagnostic and treatment technologies.

Radiation therapy, the most common cancer treatment, varies by disease type and location, but the most common method is external beam therapy, which directs radiation at a tumor from a machine. Technological advancements have improved precision, higher dosages and ultimately, better and safer cancer treatment.

Condell Medical Center offers some of the most current technologies:

Phillips ACQSim Wide-Bore 3-D Simulator
The radiation therapy process begins as radiation therapists gather detailed patient data using the state-of-the-art Phillips ACQSim Wide-Bore 3-D Simulator. Patients lie inside the simulator, while the machine captures images and precise measurements of the cancerous areas inside their bodies.

With this information, the radiation oncologist knows the exact location of the tumor and can determine how the treatment will be delivered.

ADAC Treatment Planning Computer System
This data is then transferred to the ADAC Treatment Planning Computer System, which provides three-dimensional imaging that allows members of the radiation oncology team to outline the area of treatment.

With this data, the team can deliver radiation that conforms to the size and shape of the tumor, sparing the normal, healthy tissue. In addition, an on-line portal imaging system is used to verify the accuracy of the treatment area.

Once the treatment plan is finalized, the specifications are loaded into the Elekta Precise Linear Accelerator (Linac) computer system, and the patient's course of radiation can begin.

Elekta Precise Linear Accelerator
Condell's new Elekta Precise Linear Accelerator (commonly called a Linac) is one of the highest energy radiation therapy equipment devices in Lake County.

In addition to conventional radiation therapy, the Linac is capable of delivering 3-D conformal and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), which provides radiation doses that conform to the shape and size of the area needing treatment.

This approach allows for delivery of high doses of radiation to the tumor, while effectively sparing healthy organs and tissues in adjacent and surrounding areas. As a result, patients experience fewer side effects and better tolerate treatment.

Imaging Guidance
Using Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), therapists and physicians can check the patient's position prior to each treatment in order to assure the accuracy of the treatment and confirm the placement of the targeted area of treatment.

Electronic Medical Record
MosaiQ Electronic Treatment Record system is used to document all aspects of the patient's treatment, from consultation and patient simulation, through the full course of therapy. The electronic medical record allows medical professionals involved in that patient's care to have instant access to information when necessary.