TEMPLE, Texas – Baylor Scott & White Glenda Tanner Vasicek Cancer Treatment Center (VCTC) – Temple opened a new radiation oncology facility that will benefit Central Texas cancer patients. Located on the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple campus, the two-story 27,800 square-foot facility is adjacent to the BSW VCTC and will allow patients to receive all cancer treatments in one location. The facility will be able to treat up to 70 patients per day and features advanced radiation treatment equipment.

"We are excited to expand our comprehensive cancer care services here in Central Texas," said Stephen Sibbitt, MD, chief medical officer, Baylor Scott & White – Central Texas region. "This new facility will allow us to significantly improve the entire patient experience and allow us to perform more complex procedures with decreased wait times."

The new facility will include two linear accelerators with one extra vault empty for future expansion, a high dose rate (HDR) suite with a CT for HDR implant procedures, a CT simulator capable of scanning dual energy CT, 4DCT, partial auto-contouring of anatomical structures, and a procedure room and nine exam rooms. The building is situated on a centrally located courtyard to create a calm environment for patients and staff.

"Our medical staff continues to focus on delivering care for patients diagnosed with highly complex and rare cancers," said Niloyjyoti Deb, MD, chairman, radiation oncology at Baylor Scott & White – Temple. "This new advanced radiation oncology facility will allow us to significantly expand our patient care capabilities and help deliver radiation treatments in a spacious, peaceful, and compassionate environment for our patients."

The radiation oncology program was established on the Baylor Scott & White – Temple campus in the 1960s and modernized in 2010. Through a multidisciplinary approach to care, the radiation oncology program provides a multitude of treatments for breast, lung, gastrointestinal, head and neck, gynecologic, and genitourinary cancers by board-certified radiation oncologists. With several radiation therapy options available, medical staff can select appropriate treatments, including technologies that may reduce a patient’s treatment time from six weeks to as little as five days, depending on the type of cancer.

Treatments that the Baylor Scott & White – Temple radiation oncology program provides include:

• Intensity modulated radiation therapy for head and neck, lung, gastrointestinal, brain cancers.
• Deep inspiration breath hold, prone breast irradiation for breast cancers.
• Stereotactic body and cranial irradiation.
• High-dose rate brachytherapy for gynecologic, head and neck and skin cancers.

"As a well-established cancer center with multiple prestigious accreditations, we are committed to staying in the forefront of the medical community," said Sherronda Henderson, MD, FACP, interim division director of hematology/oncology at Baylor Scott & White – Temple. "This new facility reaffirms our commitment to expand patient care and serve Central Texas cancer patients."

Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple received the highly-esteemed American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC) accreditation in 1933 and has since maintained it. In addition to treating different types of cancers, providers at BSW VCTC conduct ongoing cancer research through clinical trials. 

# # #

About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com