Monday, February 22, 2016
Tennova Healthcare announced plans to add a second linear accelerator (LINAC) at North Knoxville Medical Center in Powell.
The multimillion-dollar project will begin this month and will include construction of a 1,824 square foot addition to the radiation therapy department where the technology will be housed in the Cancer Center.
A LINAC is a device used to deliver high energy x-rays that destroy cancer cells while sparing as much surrounding healthy tissue as possible.
"This new LINAC will be the first of its kind in East Tennessee, and will provide us with a highly accurate tool for cancer treatment," Dr. Srinivas Boppana, radiation oncologist at Tennova Healthcare said. "The finer radiation beam and increased speed of this new technology combine to minimize a patient's radiation exposure, thereby preserving the normal tissue surrounding a tumor and reducing the overall treatment time."
During construction, the radiation therapy department at North Knoxville Medical Center will remain open with no disruption for patients.
Construction is expected to be completed by late summer.
Source : local8now.com
