St. Joseph’s Cancer Institute Unveils New Technology in Cancer Treatment Options

(STOCKTON, CA) April 20, 2023 – St. Joseph’s Cancer Institute and St. Joseph’s Foundation of San Joaquin are excited to unveil the TrueBeam Linear Accelerator, the most advanced technology available to help fight cancer. This new linear accelerator combines imaging, beam delivery and sophisticated motion management to accurately and precisely target tumors with speed. 

“We are proud to offer this breakthrough technology to the San Joaquin community,” said Donald J. Wiley, President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Medical Center. “This new sophisticated  linear accelerator will allow us to tailor treatment to an individual's needs that are best for each patient's condition, leading to higher success rates.” The linear accelerator provides breakthrough tools that allow our radiation oncology team to treat more challenging cancers, such as pancreatic, paraspinal, lung, liver, breast, brain and prostate. This precision also allows for higher doses of radiation, given in less time, and with less impact on healthy tissue. Other benefits include:

• Shorter course of treatment - for some, it will reduce from 5-7 weeks to 1-3 days
• Daily treatment times reduced by as much as 70%
• Increased success treating early-stage cancers with the new technology

"With the addition of the True Beam and the use of HyperArc, we are bringing state-of-the-art radiation therapy to this community that previously could only be obtained in a university setting,” said Dr. Gauravjit Singh, MD, Radiation Oncology, St. Joseph’s Medical Center. “It's a real game changer; we will now be able to treat multiple tumors in a patient's body simultaneously. This is going to improve the patient's experience, making it quicker, more effective and safer for them.”

The linear accelerator is part of a larger $9.2 million project at the St. Joseph’s Cancer Institute, which consists of designing and building the linear accelerator vault, the TrueBeam equipment, and the specialty software. The project also includes ADA upgrades to patient dressing rooms and nursing stations in the Cancer Institute. 

For more information on SJMC’s Cancer Institute, please visit here or contact Kellie Ryan at [email protected] for interview opportunities. To learn more about St. Joseph’s Foundation of San Joaquin’s or to support their efforts, please visit here. 

###

About St. Joseph’s Medical Center

Dignity Health St. Joseph's Medical Center is a not-for-profit, fully accredited, regional hospital with 355 beds, a physician staff of over 700, and more than 2,700 employees. Specializing in cardiovascular care, comprehensive cancer services, and women and children's services, St. Joseph's is committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality, affordable health care services with special attention to the poor and underserved. As a Sponsoring Institution for Graduate Medical Education, St. Joseph’s supports rapidly growing educational programs for both resident physicians and medical students. In addition to being nationally recognized as a quality leader, St. Joseph's is consistently chosen as the "most preferred hospital" by local consumers. St. Joseph's is the largest hospital, as well as one of the largest private employers in San Joaquin County. Founded in 1899 by Fr. William O'Connor and administered by the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, St. Joseph's continues to lead the region in medical innovation. St. Joseph's Medical Center is a member of Dignity Health/CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit Catholic health system with care sites across 21 states dedicated to advancing health for all people. For more information, please visit DignityHealth.org/Stockton.  

About St. Joseph’s Foundation of San Joaquin

St. Joseph’s Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to raise and administer philanthropic funds to support the needs of St. Joseph’s Medical Center and St. Joseph’s Behavioral Health Center. Together with our board of directors, physicians and other community leaders, the foundation works to encourage public interest and support of St. Joseph’s Medical Center and our many worthy programs, services, and outreach activities in a manner consistent with our values and goals. Learn more at www.supportstjosephshospital.org.