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Cancer Center
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Altus Cancer Center
At Altus Baytown Hospital, our Cancer Center is led by teams of highly-skilled medical oncologists and radiation oncologists offering the latest diagnostic technologies and advanced therapies, while also providing the emotional support and resources patients and families need to make informed care decisions.
Our team of specialists knows that each patient and every cancer is different. From utilizing the latest image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) technology and fixed PET/CT scanners, to the latest research and advances in therapies, we work with patients to construct a personalized plan for treatment and monitoring progress.
At Altus Baytown Cancer Center, our caring staff offers patients a convenient and comfortable choice for state-of-the-art cancer care close to home. We welcome your questions and invite you to tour our centers.
Our Cancer Centers Offer:
- Radiation Therapy Treatment
- Breast Care Program
- Patient Navigator Program
- Community Outreach Program
See how Altus Cancer Center makes a difference at our Baytown location!
Altus Hospital aims to provide patients with optimal treatment solutions in a calming, positive environment
Cancer Center
We provide the following services:
At Altus Cancer Center, our radiation oncology team provides the most precise radiation applications with our advanced cancer treatment planning systems and technologies. Our team of experts is led by radiation oncologists and includes physicists, dosimetrists, radiation therapists and nurses. They work closely with patients to determine if radiation is an appropriate form of treatment for each cancer, and then develop a customized treatment plan. Radiation therapy works by damaging or destroying cancerous cells and preventing them from growing and dividing while minimizing adverse effects on nearby healthy organs and tissues. A cancer treatment plan may include one or more of the following technologies.
CT simulation enhances radiation oncology treatment planning by generating threedimensional images to achieve the utmost accuracy in targeting and mapping specific treatment areas. With CT simulation, our oncologists deliver high doses of radiation to a tumor while minimizing the amount of radiation to normal, surrounding tissues. Cancer treatment planning is enhanced with the use of a three-dimensional treatment planning computer. Using the information and images provided by the CT simulator, the computer generates a treatment plan tailored to each patient’s specific cancer care needs. Guided by three-dimensional models, the radiation oncologist, physicist and dosimetrist can accurately determine the optimal dose of radiation to be delivered during treatment.
ARIA is a comprehensive information and image management system that aggregates patient data into a fully-electronic medical chart. ARIA’s oncology-specific EMR streamlines care delivery and provides our health care team with immediate access to key information, resulting in the ability to make sound clinical decisions in a timely manner. ARIA is integrally linked to our Varian iX linear accelerator to enable the recording and verification of specialized treatment plans. All information in a patient’s chart is stored in this system and is available at every workstation, saving time and ensuring quality control for each individual’s specific treatment.
Imaging Fusion technology enhances radiation treatment planning by enabling radiation oncologists to more precisely and confidently locate and define tumors. With Imaging Fusion, radiation oncologists can scale, rotate and translate target body parts or tissues into 3D images for a more accurate perspective of their size and shape.
By using a technology known as image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), a tumor can be imaged just before the delivery of radiotherapy (or even during a treatment) enabling radiation oncologists to verify its exact location, thereby reducing the margin of healthy tissue exposed to radiation. If a tumor has shifted even slightly since a patient’s last visit, the radiation beams can be adjusted so that they hit the tumor precisely.
The most precise form of external radiation therapy is an advanced form of non-invasive radiation treatment enabling radiation oncologists to precisely target tumor cells. IMRT uses computer-generated images and treatment planning to deliver high doses of radiation to a tumor while minimizing the amount of radiation to normal, surrounding tissues. Computed tomography (CT) and other imaging studies build 3D diagnostic images and treatment plans to deliver tightly focused radiation beams of varying intensity to cancerous tumors without needles, tubes, or catheters. With the addition of ultrasound technology to IMRT, radiation oncologists can localize treatment to the affected area, minimizing damage to surrounding tissues.
The computer-controlled MLC accurately designs the size and shape of the radiation beam to conform to the tumor during the treatment planning process. Individually adjusted metal “leaves” vary beam intensity by blocking and protecting healthy tissue.
PET/CT is a relatively new imaging tool that combines a PET scan and a CT scan. The combined PET and CT images enhance the physician’s ability to diagnose cancer at earlier stages (including recurrent cancers) and provide a clearer assessment of response to treatments such as radiation therapy. The procedures can also help determine tumor location and size, whether it is malignant or benign, if it has spread, and if it is the result of an inflammatory change. PET/ CT makes it possible to customize patient treatment positions and reconstruct individual “slices” into a 3D image of the entire area scanned, providing the most detailed, high-resolution images available. Because of its lightning-fast speed, PET/CT images allow for immediate treatment planning, letting physicians evaluate tumors and surrounding structures in minute detail. PET/CT offers a tremendous advantage over other currently available diagnostic tools.