Providing Hope and Healing
The Helmsley Cancer Center has proven its critical value for the people of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas, with patient care activity currently operating at about 25 percent higher than was originally projected by this time and the number of patients turning to Shaare Zedek on the constant rise.
One of the core imaging modalities for planning radiation care is the CT Simulator which effectively maps the patient body in ways that are then used for our physicists to apply the relevant radioactive dosages and ensure they are most effectively targeted to the cancer-affected areas.
This is therefore a critical stage in the treatment process, and we are deeply indebted to the USAID for your role in supporting the CT Simulator program.
For many patients the CT Simulator can be the first step along the treatment process, and it therefore can be deeply traumatic and defined by fear and tension. The very design of our CT Simulator Unit is intended to address patient anxiety with a unique multimedia system that combines music and imagery to help relax the patient.
To demonstrate its effectiveness, we share the cases of two patients who were recently scanned in the CT Simulator:
*Identifying details changed to protect patient identity
- Amani is a ten-year-old girl being treated at Shaare Zedek for Hodgkin’s Disease. A resident of East Jerusalem, she was a typical active child before her diagnosis, which has been extremely trying, both practically and emotionally for her and her family. Upon admission to the CT Simulator, the staff patiently and compassionately explained to her the process allowing her to understand how important it would be for her overall treatment and hopeful recovery. The technicians allowed her to choose which color scheme the room would be shaded in as well what music she would listen to throughout the process, which could take up to an hour. Once relaxed, Marian was able to lie still for the scans and will soon be prepared to begin radiotherapy care in the adjacent room.
- Eitan is a 50-year-old man who has been diagnosed with an advanced brain tumor. While he knows his chances of recovery are limited, his relative young age and prior good health has given him and his family the confidence that they should do everything to fight the growth and give him the best chance at extending his quality of life. After the opening of the Helmsley Cancer Center, he chose to transfer his care to Shaare Zedek. He recently underwent his first scan in the CT Simulator to develop the radiotherapy plan with the hopes that it can best address his condition. A lover of classical music, he thanked the staff for being able to choose the music that played for nearly an hour while he remained still for the scan.