Newspapers / InterCom (Durham, N.C.) / Dec. 1, 1958, edition 1 / Page 1
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VOL. 5, NO. 2 DECEMBER, 1958 DURHAM, N. C. Radiology Looks Ahead Soon after the first of the year, con struction will begin on a new Radia tion Therapy wing. Running out from the back of the hospital, parallel to Howland Ward, the unit will con tain 14 rooms and shoidd be complete in about six months. Housed in this unit will be one cobalt therapy ma chine containing approximately 2,000 Curie’s of cobalt 60. A second room for cobalt therapy will be equipped later. Used chiefly in the treatment of malignant disease, cobalt therapy has proved helpful in a slightly high er j)ercentage of cases than conven tional x-ray therapy. At Duke the machine will be used, also, for teach ing and research. This type of radia tion therapy is becoming more com mon throughout the country with (if) to 70 installations over the United States. At present there are only two other cobalt units in North Caro lina. Construction of the new radiation therapy wing is being financed joint ly by Duke University and federal funds. Development of the Radiation Therapy Division of Radiologj^ will necessitate enlarging the department staff about July first. This will in clude a physician specially trained in cobalt thera])y. The recently acquired radiation therapy machine, powered with 280,000 volts, will be moved from its present quarters to the new wing. In addition to rooms for the treatment of patients, the new therapy wing will contain rooms for student conferences (Duke Photo by Sparks) Dr. Reeves checks the new radiation therapy machine (280,000 volts) with Radiology resident, Dr. Claude Smith, and chief therapy technician, Mrs. Helen Tillery. and space, including laboratories, for cancer research. The Diagnostic Division of x-ray will remain in its present quarters on the second floor of the Hospital. Space vacated by the move to the Therapy wing will allow for long needed ex pansion of the Diagnostic X-ray and Isotope Divisions. The Isotope Laboratory in the De partment of Radiology has several distinct functions. It makes avail able certain types of newer treat ments which use radioactive mate rials. At the Duke Medical Center the emphasis has been on the use of isotoj)es in diagnosis. Such com pounds in the body as thyroid can be traced with radioactive nuiterial. It ft (Duke Photo by Sparks) Dr. Robert J. Reeves, Professor of Radi ology and Chairman of the Department, was a member of the original Duke Hospital staff. A native Texan, he is an honorary member of the Texas Radiological Society. He came to Duke by way of Columbia Uni versity Medical Center.
InterCom (Durham, N.C.)
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Dec. 1, 1958, edition 1
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