John B. Amos Cancer Center completes 11-million-dollar equipment replacement

COLUMBUS,Ga. ( WRBL ) — The John B. Amos Cancer center has completed their state-of-the-art equipment replacement project.

The $11 million dollar project dates back to late 2021. The Piedmont Columbus Regional Foundation funded the purchase of equipment by community donations. The equipment is expected to provide higher-quality, safer and more comfortable care for patients.

Lead physicist Wyndioto Chisela told News 3 prior to getting this equipment allows physicians to precisely treat and target tumors with motion management and in room imaging.

“So, before we didn’t have imaging in the treatment room too, did these machines now come with imaging tools  that allow us to image the patient right here on the table and we can then direct the radiation at the tumor because we can actually verify and see that tumor precisely and target it. “

Wyndioto Chisela, Lead Physicist at John B. Amos Cancer Center

Chisela says the accuracy of the machines eliminates the possibility of missing the target during radiation treatments.

“The machine can produce more dose very, very, rapidly and therefore reduce the time that patient lies on that table,” says Chisela.

He expects the new equipment will allow the reduction of intensity of treatment or minimize the continuous growth of the tumor.

Chisela has worked with the John B. Amos Cancer Center for 18 years. He told News 3 about what the new technology in his field.

“There’s so much automation in these machines that allow us to actually be able to do what we do more accurately…The technology now has eliminated a lot of those manual interactions in the preparation of the treatment.”

Wyndioto Chisela, Lead Physicist at John B. Amos Cancer Center

The new equipment includes three Varian Truebeam linear accelerators, AI-assisted Siemens CT scanner and Brainlab ExacTrac Dynamic six-degree robotic system.

These new machines assist in the creation of treatment plans for patients.

Lenhart explained the new AI- assisted CT scanner’s “big bore” the team at Piedmont are able to accommodate more patients.

“These advanced linear accelerators and this scan helps us better serve the community by giving them the best equipment possible to fight the good fight against cancer. This is one of the most advanced CT scanners around.”

Ross Lenhart, Radiation Therapist

Lenhart told WRBL no one lays down the same way twice. The team at Piedmont combats this by using mobilization devices.

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