News

Fox Chase Cancer Center Buckingham Opening July 20th

The new radiation oncology facility will offer Bucks County residents nationally recognized cancer care

Philadelphia (July 14, 2009) – Fox Chase Cancer Center Buckingham, a new world-class radiation oncology facility in Bucks County, is scheduled to open on Monday, July 20.  The facility, approximately 19 miles from Fox Chase’s Northeast Philadelphia campus in Buckingham, PA, will give Bucks County residents more convenient access to Fox Chase's nationally recognized cancer treatment regimens, along with access to innovative care and clinical trials. Patients at Fox Chase Cancer Center Buckingham will be able to take advantage of the latest advances in radiation therapy provided by some of the nation's most experienced doctors using state-of-the-art technologies.

Radiation oncologist, Shelly Hayes, MD, will be heading the new facility as director of Fox Chase Cancer Center Buckingham.  Hayes has expertise in external beam radiotherapy, high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, sterotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy.  She did her residency in radiation oncology at Fox Chase and was chief resident in 2007.  She comes to the Buckingham facility from Virginia Radiation Oncology Associates at CJW Medical Center in Richmond.

“I am thrilled to be returning to Fox Chase to lead the team in Buckingham,” said Hayes.  “This is a unique facility, providing cutting edge radiation treatments not currently available to Bucks County residents in a comfortable, convenient and friendly environment.” 

Under Hayes’s direction, patients at the Buckingham facility will have access to a team of Fox Chase specialists who will carefully plan and carry out each patient's course of radiation treatment. The team includes physicians specializing in radiation therapy (radiation oncologists), radiation therapists, medical dosimetrists, medical radiation physicists, oncology nurses, and a wide array of support staff.

"We are excited to offer the most advanced, state of the art radiation treatments in Bucks County. This is a true extension of the main facility and will allow patients to get the very best treatment close to home," said Eric M. Horwitz, MD, acting chairman of the department of radiation oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center. “The facility at Buckingham even offers cutting-edge technology not yet available on Fox Chase's main campus.”

The Buckingham facility will offer the following state-of-the-art technologies:

• The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System
  The world's first and only radiosurgery system designed to target tumors anywhere in the body with sub-millimeter accuracy. Using image-guidance technology and computer-controlled robotics, the CyberKnife system is designed to continuously track the tumor, detect its location, and correct for tumor and patient movement in real-time throughout the treatment.
• Trilogy Linear Accelerator with Rapid Arc
  Optimized for delivering higher radiation doses to smaller areas over a shorter time, the Trilogy system makes radiation therapy possible at earlier stages and for more types of cancer.  It harbors a built-in CT scanner allowing visualization of the tumor prior to each treatment.  The Rapid Arc technology, which creates a smoother and more highly shaped radiation treatment, allows delivery of a continuously modulated dose to the entire tumor while sparing normal, healthy tissue — providing superior treatment plans that are more time-efficient and comfortable for patients.
• LightSpeed RT 16 CT Simulator
  Multi-slice CT is one of the most important tools for radiation treatment planning. With sub-millimeter slices and 16-slice coverage, the LightSpeed RT 16 CT Simulator enables rapid visualization of the smallest anatomic details for precise treatment planning, including complete definition of the tumor volume, assessment of tumor motion with respiration and geometric placement of radiation beams.
• Calypso 4D Localization System
  Working like a GPS system for the body, Calypso is the world's first real-time tracking method available to locate and internally track prostate tumors during the delivery of radiation therapy — allowing for more precise and accurate radiation targeting. Before each treatment, Calypso finds the tiny electromagnetic sensors implanted in the prostate (called beacon transponders) and helps the technologist re-align the treatment plan.

The new 12,500-square-foot facility will not only offer patients first-class care but will also have a green-influenced, environmentally friendly decor. More and more architects, engineers, building owners, and contractors base their decisions on green-influenced factors such as indoor air quality, raw-material conservation, and energy and water efficiency. In addition, the Buckingham facility offers elements such as natural lighting, soothing settings, appealing decor, and comfortable waiting areas.

The Buckingham facility is part of the Heritage Center at Buckingham, located two miles south of Doylestown and two miles west of Buckingham Village on Route 263 (York Road) and easily accessible to communities in the Central Bucks County region via Routes 202, 611, 313 (Swamp Road), and 413.

---

Fox Chase Cancer Center is one of the leading cancer research and treatments centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation's first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are also routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center's nursing program has received the Magnet status for excellence three consecutive times. Today, Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research, with special programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. For more information, call 1-888-FOX-CHASE or 1-888-369-2427.
    
More 2009 News Releases »

Media inquiries only, please contact Diana Quattrone at 215-728-7784.