CityView Magazine

52 October 2021 HEALTH 'Like a Family' Cancer Center Prevails Through Trying Times BY KIM HAST Y | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY WOOTEN I n the more than three decades of its existence, Cape Fear Valley Health's Cancer Treatment and CyberKnife Center has undergone tremendous growth and changes. ose changes include an expansion of the original treatment facility at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, as well as opening a cancer treatment center at Health Pavilion North off Ramsey Street and, most recently, offering medical oncology treatments at Cancer Central at Harnett in Lillington. ere's that state-of-the-art CyberKnife system itself, a contraption mounted from a robot that, against a backdrop of star- studded skylights, looks like something out of a science fiction movie. But the robotic guidance allows oncologists to deliver radiation with pinpoint accuracy to the site of tumors while avoiding healthy surrounding tissue. ere are the multitude of options and improvements in treatments and technology. ere's the satisfaction of having been among the leaders in the evolution of breast cancer treatment and other cancers. e addition of dieticians and social workers who help patients navigate every challenge. e accreditation by the American College of Surgeons and commendation as an Academic Comprehensive Cancer Center. But it all comes down to one common goal that hasn't changed through all the years and all the advances since the center first opened in 1988. "is is one of the kindest places ever," The state-of-the-art CyberKnife allows oncologists to deliver radiation with pinpoint accuracy to the site of tumors while avoiding healthy surrounding tissue.

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