We've all heard of GPS navigation systems in cars, but in hospitals?
Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Midwestern Regional Medical
Center is the first in the Midwest to offer the Calypso system known as
"GPS for the Body." A next generation technology, it significantly
advances radiation treatment for prostate cancer patients by exhibiting
real-time tracking and monitoring of tumors for patients undergoing
external beam radiation therapy.
Due to normal body activity,
tumors often tend to change positions. This new technology enables
real-time, continuous monitoring of the tumor location during
treatment, and improves accuracy in targeting the prostate tumor while
better protecting the surrounding tissues and vital organs. It can also
reduce side effects.
According to the American Cancer Society
218,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, and GPS for
the Body shows promise for other cancer types as well.
