Scott Holzer is a Certified Medical Dosimetrist at Avera St. Luke's.
Seven years ago the Avera St. Luke's Cancer Care Center added a radiation vault with a linear accelerator and it has meant treatment close to home. And that's meant everything to cancer patients and their families in the Aberdeen region. Nancy Naeve Brown went to Aberdeen to talk to a Certified Medical Dosimetrist about radiation therapy.
Certified Medical Dosimetrist Dr. Scott Holzer at Avera St. Luke's Cancer Care Center says, "The linear accelerator is a very useful tool it delivers very high energy doses of radiation so we can treat tumors and we can still spare the normal tissue as much as possible. The key to any type of cancer delivery is getting enough radiation to the tumor to destroy the tumor yet not damage the normal cells too much and the linear accelerator greatly aids us in doing that.
Q: I imagine having radiation here in Aberdeen has meant a great deal to the folks in this area?
A: Having it in Aberdeen is incredible. If you have to drive to Minneapolis, Sioux Falls, or Fargo it would be an incredible taxing burden to the patient. At least this way, we can deliver the highest technology possible here in Aberdeen.
Q: Has it improved survivorship?
A: The patient feels great about themselves. They get to sleep in their own bed at night and it all aids in the healing and caring of the patient."
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