St. Elizabeth Healthcare has enhanced its cancer treatment services in Fort Thomas with the addition of a TrueBeam Radiotherapy System, a linear accelerator made by Varian Medical Systems that cost nearly $4 million.

“This is the next heavy investment in our strategy to expand access for patients to cutting-edge technologies,” said Dr. Doug Flora, executive medical director of oncology services for Edgewood-based St. Elizabeth. “We’re trying to expand our services to be a regional footprint for cancer patients.”

While the Edgewood campus of St. Elizabeth’s flagship hospital will be home to a $140 million cancer center that’s now being built, St. E plans to boost smaller cancer treatment centers in neighboring areas, Flora told me.

The new machine at Fort Thomas replaces an older model, Flora said.

It is one of four linear accelerators operated by St. Elizabeth, and a fifth will be added at the Edgewood center in 2020, Flora told me.

The new TrueBeam technology produces three-dimensional images used to fine tune the targeting of tumors, using 25 percent less X-ray dose when compared with earlier generations of the machinery.

In addition, the new TrueBeam system incorporates automation that helps reduce treatment time. In many cases, treatments that once took 15 minutes or more can be completed in less than two minutes once the patient is positioned.

“TrueBeam enables us to treat even the most challenging cases with tremendous speed and precision,” said Dr. Lauren Castellini, a radiation oncologist at St. Elizabeth. “This system will make it possible for us to offer fast, more targeted treatments for cancers — even those that move when the patient breathes, such as lung, esophageal or breast cancers.

“With TrueBeam, we can select the optimal treatment for every type of cancer,” Castellini said. “This will enable us to provide a wide spectrum of advanced radiotherapy treatment options for our patients.”