Valley hospital debuts innovative cancer treatment technology

A valley hospital is introducing a new, state-of-the-art cancer treatment.

“At first, when you find out you have cancer, it hits you, and you do wonder if you’re going to survive,” said cancer patient Donna Poyuzina.

“I really didn’t expect to have cancer. I had a meningioma 15 years ago. It’s in my brain. So I really thought in my mind that I was done with these big things in my life. Then i discovered I had cancer,” said Poyuzina.

On Wednesday, Desert Regional Medical Center’s Comprehensive Cancer Center introduced a new technology.

It’s called a TrueBeam Linear Accelerator. It’s a multimillion-dollar, five-year investment that provides patients such as Poyuzina with a more precise and accurate treatment.

“It gives us so much more access, not only to the body, but to different types of energies to go deeper into the body, and it protects surrounding organs. We have much more protection and it’s much more comfortable for the patient. The treatment is faster and they’re in and out quicker,” said Dr. Judy Jackson, the medical director for the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Desert Regional Medical Center.

“Then all of a sudden this new technology is right here within my reach. I was really honored to know that I’m going to be one of the first to get this treatment, so I thought, ‘Wow, I’m going to survive,'” said Poyuzina.

Poyuzina will be treated with the technology on Monday.