WellSpring Oncology’s Tomotherapy on Bay News 9

Friday, November 28, 2008
TomoTherapy is a new way to treat prostate cancer.

When 64-year old Chuck Connors found out his prostate cancer was back, he waited for treatment. “The way I looked at it, this may be my last good chance of getting rid of it, so I wanted the best chance,” says Connors. He put it off to take advantage of TomoTherapy. The unique approach to delivering radiation wasn’t widely available yet in the Tampa area.

Doctor Robert Miller with WellSpring Oncology in St. Petersburg is excited to now offer the treatment. It combines CT scanning with radiation therapy. “Basically, what it allows us to do now is visualize the anatomy just prior to treatment every day,” explains Dr. Miller.

That helps doctors determine if there are any changes from treatment to treatment. Precise radiation beams improve accuracy. “Hitting the correct spot is critical obviously in curing cancer, particularly prostate which is so close to vital organs,” says Dr. Miller. He adds, “Traditional therapy was often missing the target, sometimes by a few millimeters, sometimes even a centimeter or two.”

The new approach also allows radiation to come from all angles.

Chuck says it was worth the wait.

Dr. Miller says better accuracy has improved cure rates and reduced side effects. So far, chuck is responding well. Dr. Miller hopes advancements like this encourage more men to get screened.

“Once they realize that the cure rates are now extremely high, and the quality of life is very good, it won’t alter their sex life or their overall quality of life, we’re hoping men will be more agreeable to getting screened and treated earlier,” says Dr. Miller.

For more information on WellSpring Oncology, visit . To find more information on Tomotherapy, visit .