Pictured: Olathe Health executive leadership, board members and oncology physicians and staff cut the ribbon for the new Olathe Health Cancer Center.
OLATHE, KAN. (Feb. 28, 2018) – The newest Cancer Center in the Kansas City area, which includes advanced radiation technology for even more precise targeting and treatment of tumors and an assessment tool for swelling found only at this cancer center, is now open.
The Olathe Health Cancer Center, located on the Olathe Medical Center campus, integrates most of the hospital’s outpatient cancer services into one location. A ribbon cutting and grand opening was held on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
The new center includes a $4.5 million Linear Accelerator, one of the most sophisticated radiation technologies available. The Linear Accelerator allows for enhanced speed and accuracy when delivering targeted radiation—accurate to the millimeter—to allow for even more precise targeting and treatment of tumors. In some cases, this will reduce the number of treatments needed by patients. The new equipment also allows for additional types of therapies that use exact localization of tumors in the body to treat small, precise radiation fields and requires only a few minutes to complete in outpatient settings. This therapy, called Sterotactic Body Radiation Therapy, is used to treat a variety of cancers, including brain cancer.
A second vault with radiation equipment will be used to treat women with gynecological cancers and certain types of breast cancers using Brachytherapy. In Brachytherapy, a radiation “seed” is delivered to the patient via a needle and the “seed” travels to the tumor to deliver a precise dose of radiation.
In addition to the new oncology equipment, Olathe Health is the first cancer center in the Kansas City metro to have a tissue analysis tool for early diagnosis of lymphedema, or swelling, in cancer patients. This system sends a painless electrical current through the body of a patient to gather unique data immediately following a cancer diagnosis. Research has shown this system can diagnose lymphedema as much as 4-10 months earlier than other methods.
The cancer center includes a radiation therapy suite, an infusion therapy suite, a cancer rehabilitation room, an appearance center and boutique, a cantina with affordable food options and a healing garden. Cancer patients and staff provided input into the design of the center and local products were used throughout.
To learn more about the Olathe Health Cancer Center and cancer care, go to olathehealth.org/cancer or call 913-791- 4240.