Life Care Cancer Center

Overview of Services
Radiation Treatment
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Life Care Cancer Center represents a unique cooperative effort to bring modern radiation therapy technology to patients with cancer in northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio.

The center was jointly developed by UPMC Horizon, United Community Hospital (Grove City, Pa.), and Oncology Services International Inc. (State College, Pa.), and is affiliated with UPMC Cancer Centers. The center is committed to the prevention and early detection of cancer. If diagnosed at an early stage, more than 80 percent of common cancers can be cured.

Overview of Services
As a regional facility, the Life Care Cancer Center is able to coordinate services and programs provided by community-based support agencies such as the American Cancer Society and the hospitals in Mercer County and surrounding areas. For a presentation to your professional, service, or social organization, contact us. Appointments for tours of the center are also available.

The Life Care Cancer Center is one of several care options available to patients with cancer in the UPMC Horizon service area.

Radiation Treatment
Radiation therapy is a form of treatment that can also be used to relieve symptoms such as pain, bleeding, and other complications of cancer. In selected cases it is used in combination with surgery and chemotherapy. This joint approach significantly improves tumor cure rates and patient survival.

View patient education factsheets on radiation therapy.

During the last several decades, increased energy of the beam from the kilovoltage range to the megavoltage range has significantly improved tumor control and patient survival and, at the same time, reduced the side effects of radiation.

Life Care Cancer Center's technology includes:

• An Elekta Digital Accelerator, which features a fully integrated Multileaf Collimator – composed of small, metallic leaves that help shape radiation beams to focus on tumors and spare healthy tissue – and a wide range of energy levels to match the treatment needs of each individual patient
• A simulator dedicated to cancer treatment
• Computer planning system
• Microdosimetry (dose) measuring system

Before treatment begins, the simulator x-rays the planned treatment area, which includes the tumor and surrounding areas where the tumor may have spread. The resulting films are used to target the delivery of high doses of radiation to the tumor and minimize the radiation exposure to surrounding normal tissues.

To further protect the normal tissues surrounding the tumor, technicians construct lead shields customized to each individual patient. By using shields, the physician can shape the radiation beam to conform to the tumor and its spread pattern. The shield allows a higher dose to be delivered to the tumor and a lower dose to the normal tissue. This means a higher rate of tumor control and a lower rate of side effects.

After the treatment is planned and the lead shield made, radiation therapy begins with the linear accelerator, which delivers high-energy x-rays and electrons to the tumor. Computers display the radiation dose distribution within the tumor and the rest of the body.

Patients are treated daily, Monday through Friday. The number of treatments varies with each patient and the type of cancer.