About Southeast Missouri Hospital's Regional Cancer Center
Many of the diagnostic and therapeutic technologies housed in Southeast's Regional Cancer Center are equal or superior to those available at many of the nation's best-known cancer treatment facilities.

Linear Accelerator Technology
World-class technology also is incorporated into the Regional Cancer Center's new Varian Clinac 21EX linear accelerator. Now, Southeast has the same linear accelerator technology found at internationally-known cancer centers including M.D. Anderson, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Johns Hopkins, Stanford and the Mayo Clinic. The new accelerator is equipped to deliver Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), one of the most precise forms of radiation therapy available. IMRT is often used to treat tumors that might have been considered untreatable in the past due to close proximity of vital organs and structures. The linear accelerator's advanced technology allows physicians to virtually "paint" on the contours of an irregularly shaped tumor while sparing exposure to healthy tissue.

Prostate Brachytherapy
Men in need of treatment for prostate cancer now have another treatment option available at the Regional Cancer Center. Prostate Brachytherapy is the permanent implantation of radioactive "seeds" into the prostate gland under guidance of precise ultrasound imaging. Unlike surgery, brachytherapy is typically done on an outpatient basis, and in most cases patients can resume normal activity within a few days after the procedure.

NovalisÆ Shaped Beam Surgery
As downstate Missouri's leader in cancer care, Southeast continually strives to bring the most current services and technology to the region. Southeast is the first hospital in Missouri and one of fewer than 60 worldwide to offer NovalisÆ Shaped Beam SurgeryTM manufactured by BrainLAB. Novalis offers cutting-edge technology for highly precise radiation treatments of brain, head and neck tumors, prostate cancer and certain other neurological disorders. Typically performed on an outpatient basis, stereotactic radiosurgery is painless, and no anesthesia is required for the treatment. Patients are able to return to their daily routine the same day.

Da VinciÆ Surgical System
Southeast is the third hospital in Missouri and the first community hospital in the state to offer roboticassisted surgery using the da VinciÆ Surgical System. There are fewer than 400 da Vinci systems nationwide. Using da Vinci, board certified urologic surgeons from Cape Girardeau Urology Associates can surgically remove the prostate gland with a magnified, three-dimensional view of the prostate more detailed than is possible with the human eye alone. For most pNatients, the da Vinci prostatectomy offers numerous potential benefits over open prostatectomy. These include: five or six pinpoint incisions compared to the large, eight to 10-inch incision required for open surgery; a shorter hospital stay; less blood loss and pain; fewer complications; and a faster return to normal activities. And with this new technology, prostate surgeons are better able to avoid muscles and nerves that control sexual function and urination, potentially lowering a man's post-surgical risk of impotence and incontinence.