A vast improvement over standard radiation, IMRT is being heralded as one of the most significant advancements in radiation therapy during the last 30 years. It administers a radiation field that consists of several small beams of varying intensities that pass through normal tissue without doing damage, but then converges to give a precise dose of radiation at the tumor site. IMRT limits adverse side effects from radiation while increasing the intensity of doses that can be given effectively destroying cancer cells.

IMRT is combined with a process called inverse treatment planning to determine the best way to treat a patient. It relies on CT and MRI data from patients that is processed and analyzed by a complex computer system to produce the ideal radiation dose distribution to the patient. While the planning process is labor intensive the benefits the patients will many times realize shorter treatment duration. IMRT will allow us to treat difficult cases by delivering radiation to a pin point size tumor target and spare normal tissues. We can sculpt a concentrated dose around the tumor to reduce treatment related toxicity and safely increase the dose to some tumors with improved chances of tumor control. We will eliminate the need for patients to need to travel out of town for specialized radiation treatments.

IMRT is now available at Cumberland Medical Center to treat head and neck cancer, brain tumors, prostate cancer as well as certain types of gynecologic cancer.

Opened in December, 1996, the CMC Regional Cancer Center has spent the past seven years providing state-of-the-art cancer care to patients in the Cumberland Plateau area. Each year approximately 4,000 treatments are given to patients who take advantage of the convenience and exceptional quality treatment at the CMC Regional Cancer Center. The Center is located adjacent to the hospital and offers medical care in a familiar and friendly atmosphere. Patients no longer have to make daily trips to medical centers many miles away, sometimes for weeks at a time. The Center is able to offer a small amount of housing based on the distance the patient is driving and financial need. The staff also oversees a transportation grant in an effort to offset transportation expenses for patients driving a good distance or with financial constraints.

The Cumberland Medical Center Regional Cancer Center aims to combine the latest in technological advances and emotional support to deliver top quality care. In order to provide this care, the center works with all physicians, medical oncologists and surgical specialties to provide radiation to all eligible patients. The CMC Regional Cancer Center’s linear accelerator, simulator, treatment planning system, and customized block fabrication are professionally and expertly used by our skilled and caring medical team. This technology is a powerful tool in the fight against cancer.

Cumberland Medical Center provides permanent prostate brachytherapy seed implants. The radiation oncologist coordinates this procedure with the referring urologist and the surgery department. Cumberland Medical Center also provides outpatient radioactive iodine treatment.

Cumberland Medical Center's Cancer Program provides a team approach with monthly multi-disciplinary cancer conferences. Physicians and ancillary hospital personnel who manage cancer patients discuss cancer, its discovery, evaluation, treatment and follow-up. These sessions are invaluable tools that promote better education and communication concerning cancer.

Cancer can affect all aspects of a patient's life. In addition to quality medical care, Cumberland Medical Center offers a growing number of services to our patients and their families, including support groups, spiritual services, home health care services, and accommodation assistance. Additionally, our personalized care includes providing information and education in order to fully inform our patients about their health status.

When cancer is discovered and the physician or oncologist decides that radiation therapy might be beneficial, a consultation with the CMC Regional Cancer Center's Radiation Oncologist is scheduled. A radiation oncologist is a board-certified physician who is specially trained to treat cancer using the latest radiation therapy techniques.

Once it is determined that radiation therapy is the appropriate treatment, the doctor or oncologist will be advised of the treatment plan, and the treatment is scheduled. Usually, radiation treatment is done over the course of a few days or weeks. The radiation oncologist at the CMC Regional Cancer Center sends a summary of the patient’s treatment progress to the referring physician for follow-up.

American Cancer Society Community Cancer Resource Center: CMC donated space at the Cancer Center to the ACS to provide a Community Cancer Resource Center. The center includes a resource library, a meeting room for support group meetings or other programs offered by the ACS, internet access, and a wig closet. All the materials and supplies are provided by the ACS free of charge. The Resource Center is staffed by ACS volunteers and is staffed Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to noon. The center acts as a self serve resource in the afternoons until 4:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome to stop by the Resource Center for cancer related information.

Services offered at the Center include: Physician Consultations, Radiation Therapy, 6-15 Linear Accelerator, State-of-the-Art 3D Treatment Planning, IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy), IGRT (Image Guided Radiation Therapy), Prostate Seed Implant, Outpatient Radioactive Iodine Therapy and Virtual CT Simulation.

At the CMC Regional Cancer Center we recognize the individual needs and dignity of the cancer patient and their family members. Our cancer program seeks to meet those needs by providing the medical, social, spiritual, and emotional support necessary.