New cancer treatment faster, more accurate

By Dylan Scott

Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011 | 2:05 a.m.

When Bud Manwill was diagnosed with prostate cancer this summer, he was directed to 21st Century Oncology.

And when the clinic’s doctors suggested a new radiation treatment to combat the disease, the former Clark County firefighter didn’t hesitate.

The treatment was RapidArc, a radiotherapy technology developed by Varian Medical Systems in California, and 21st Century Oncology, 2851 Tenaya Way, is the first practice in the valley to utilize it, said Dr. Brian Lawenda, resident oncologist.

Lawenda said 21st Century Oncology, which has more than 100 locations in the U.S., saw an opportunity to take advantage of an emerging technology.

Its advanced method of delivering radiation treatment allowed Manwill, one of the first patients to undergo the treatment at 21st Century, to stop into the clinic once a day for less than five minutes. Other radiation treatments can take as long as 45 minutes, Lawenda said.

The 45-day treatment ended on Dec. 27. Manwill said he “felt very much at ease and very confident” with the RapidArc technology and its effectiveness.

Lawenda said RapidArc allows doctors to deliver radiation treatment more accurately and quickly.

The treatment uses image-guided technology to direct the radiation beam on a path specifically designed for the patient, allowing the full effect to be achieved in one seamlesss 360 degree rotation, while continuously re-shaping the beam to minimize damage to the surrounding tissue.

Manwill said the daily sessions were “virtually painless.” Although his cancer was caught during its early stages, he said, the news still “shocked” him and his wife. But the atmosphere at 21st Century Oncology helped relieve some of that worry, he said.

“Cancer is kind of like someone having a fire — you never think it’s going to happen to you,” said Manwill, 77. “So, it meant everything to me to have the utmost confidence in my oncologist. My initial impressions of Dr. Lawenda gave me great assurance I would get the treatment I needed.”

Lawenda said patients who undergo RapidArc treatment suffer fewer side effects than with other methods because nearby tissue suffers less damage, which gives him confidence the treatment will catch on.

“It allows us to treat patients more efficiently, improves quality of life, improves the outcome,” he said. “That adds a lot of satisfaction for any physician.”

The clinic has treated about 50 patients with RapidArc since the technology debuted in October, Lawenda said. Some of the common cancers include prostate, lung, head and neck.

Manwill, now living in Henderson, will learn within 90 days if RapidArc has eradicated the cancer from his prostate, but he remains “very optimistic” that it did. And while he counts himself lucky because the disease never advanced to the later stages, he said, he would “encourage anyone...to try to schedule an appointment with Dr. Lawenda to discuss their cancer problem.”

For more information about 21st Century Oncology, call 1-855-854-7434.