Equipment donation will help teach cancer treatment
Equipment to train students in cancer treatment has been donated to SIUC's Health Care Professions department. Exton, Pa.-based Acceletronics, Inc. donated the radiation therapy simulator to the department's radiological sciences program. Replacement value for a new machine is $450,000 to $500,000. "The equipment simulates exactly where radiation is to be delivered during radiation therapy treatment of cancerous tumors to help reduce potential injury to adjacent tissue," said Steven C. Jensen, a professor in radiologic sciences. "The equipment uses low-energy x-rays so students can help physicians determine how best to treat a patient's tumors. It's an opportunity for the students to practice radiation therapy treatment planning." Previously, students went to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale to receive some orientation to the radiation therapy simulator. Now, the equipment is right at their fingertips, he said. "This is really a fabulous addition to our radiologic sciences baccalaureate program," Jensen said. The College of Applied Sciences and Arts paid for a complete remodeling of an existing room to accommodate the radiation therapy simulator, including the installation of one-eighth-inch thick lead sheeting to prevent escape of radiation to surrounding areas. Scott Collins, an assistant professor in radiologic sciences and radiation therapy specialization director, works with students in the new lab. "It's going to give the students hands-on experience before they have their clinicals in the spring," Collins said. "Students always want more hands-on."
-- Pete Rosenbery
November 19, 2003