As part of Banner Thunderbird Medical Center’s commitment to providing the highest levels of quality cancer care, BTMC has added a state-of-the-art Elekta Axesse machine to our radiation treatment systems.  Banner Thunderbird medical staff treated the first patient using the state-of-the-art Elekta Axesse on February 4.

The Elekta Axesse gives physicians the power to treat targeted areas more aggressively than ever before with the most accurate and efficient stereotactic system on the market today.  This results in fewer treatments for the patient. While traditional radiation therapy may require 30-35 visits, SRS or SRT may be performed in one to five visits.  Banner Thunderbird Medical Center is the first hospital in Arizona and the third in the nation to offer cutting edge cancer treatment with an Elekta Axesse.

“With this, we will be able to serve our existing population better, as well as a patient population that we currently can’t serve,” said Courtney Ophaug, associate administrator at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center. “We will be able to treat patients who are not surgical candidates, as well as treat more complex types of cancer, such as spine.  We are proud to further demonstrate our continued commitment to the Banner Thunderbird community and our high quality oncology programs.” 

Historically, patients with a single cancer tumor might have open surgery to remove it. This requires several days in the hospital plus a significant recovery time. With the Elekta Axesse, treatment can be performed on an outpatient basis, providing a non-invasive alternative to surgery. While not all patients are suitable for this type of treatment, it can be used in many cases where the tumor might not be operable or if the patient is medically fragile.

The new technology also helps doctors zero in on and treat difficult to reach tumors with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue providing non-invasive treatment for tumors in areas such as the brain, spinal cord, prostate, lungs and liver.

The Elekta Axesse provides unmatched clinical confidence to more aggressively treat tumors and is now available at Banner Thunderbird.  For more information call 602-865-5445 or go to bannerhealth.com.