Health

HEALTH • June 15, 2015 23 Urgent Care Leominster provides convenient walk-in services for individuals of all ages. Our dedicated clinical team, provides exceptional care for everyone. • No appointments needed • Open weekends & extended hours • Lower cost compared to emergency room visits • Accessibility • Quality of care • Onsite Lab & Radiology (X-Ray) services • Most insurance plans accepted • Free parking Monday–Friday: 8am–8pm Saturday, Sunday & Holidays: 9am–5pm (Except Thanksgiving and Christmas) • Minor burns or injuries • Sprains and strains • Coughs, colds, and sore throats • Ear aches • Allergic reactions (non life-threatening) • Fever or flu-like symptoms • Rash or other skin irritations • Mild asthma • Animal bites • Broken bones Our Treatments We treat non-life threatening illnesses and injuries such as: Urgent Care Leominster accepts all major insurance plans and Medicare 510 North Main Street, Leominster, MA 01453 Phone: 978-466-8820 Fax: 978-466-8821 website: www.urgentcareleominster.com Urgent Care Leominster is NOT an emergency room. If you are experiencing serious symptoms, please dial 911 or proceed directly to the UMass Memorial - HealthAlliance Hospital Emergency Room. Proton therapy-a growing alternative to traditional radiation N avigating the treatment path following a cancer diagnosis can be filled with anxiety and uncertainty. For most, there is a need to ensure every vestige of cancer has been eradicated from their bodies, but they also fear aggressive treatments, severe side effects and the potential for long- term damage. More than 60 percent of cancer patients undergo radiation therapy as part of their treatment course, and patients and physicians must carefully weigh the potential benefits and risks of treatment – particularly for cancers located in sensitive areas, such as near the brain and spinal cord. The risks are sobering for children with cancer, as their still- developing bodies can be negatively impacted by traditional X-ray radiation. A different type of radiation treatment – proton therapy – allows cancer patients to get the treatment they need while sparing healthy tissues, reducing side effects and potentially decreasing the risk of secondary cancers. This is because protons have different physical properties than the X-rays used in traditional radiation therapy, and therefore they can target a cancer tumor with much greater precision. For example, an X-ray will travel through the tumor site and radiate healthy tissue behind the tumor, but a proton beam can be positioned to stop delivering radiation precisely at the tumor location. Though proton therapy has existed for decades, it has remained out of reach for most patients because of the limited number of facilities that offer the treatment. Many patients do not live near a facility that provides this treatment, and they may not be able to travel long distances to receive it – or are not even aware this treatment is an option. For much of the last 30 years, only the largest hospitals could consider installing a proton therapy system because they were big (about the size of a football field), expensive to build (about $200 million) and had extensive ongoing operating costs (such as high energy use, extensive maintenance requirements and staffing requirements of 60 or more people). But that's changed, as companies like Mevion Medical Systems are working to make proton therapy more affordable, and therefore more accessible. Engineers and physicists at Mevion's headquarters in Littleton worked for more than a decade to develop technology that significantly reduces the size, cost and complexity of proton therapy systems, while still delivering the same results for patients. Mevion's system, the MEVION S250, is the same size as a traditional radiation unit, and in comparison to large conventional proton therapy systems, costs as much as 85 percent less, requires fewer than 10 staff members and uses up to 90 percent less energy. The Mevion system has been installed at two cancer treatment centers in Missouri and Florida, and five more systems are now being installed at other centers in Florida, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma and Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, other companies are now developing compact proton therapy systems as well, and the technology is becoming more available to patients around the world. Proton therapy is not the right treatment for all cancer patients. But it can be the right one for many. Our vision is to increase access to this important treatment so that it becomes an option for everyone who may benefit – allowing patients and physicians the freedom to choose this treatment course when it is the right path forward. Joseph Jachinowski is president and CEO of Mevion Medical Systems, a radiation therapy company focused on advancing cancer treatment options. Mevion is headquartered in Littleton. HEALTH CARE INNOVATION By Joseph Jachinowski

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