News & Events
Medical Co-Directors Speak at Monmouth Medical Center’s Neuroscience Institute
Gamma Knife® program medical co-director, Dr. Ty Olson, spoke at a brain health event on Thursday, Sept. 13, at the Neuroscience Institute at Monmouth Medical Center. The event, titled “Monmouth Peace of Mind: Maintaining Brain Health as We Age,” offered presentations from physician experts on common brain disorders and the latest advances in diagnosis, treatment and therapies. Attendees also viewed a demonstration of Tai Chi and were offered free health screenings.
Additionally, Gamma Knife program medical co-director, Dr. Sang Sim, will speak on Thursday, Sept. 20, at the Neuroscience Institute’s “Multidisciplinary Neuroscience Clinical Management” event for case managers, physician office managers and allied health professionals. Dr. Sim will address clinical management of facial pain and essential tremor. For more information on the event, click here.
Medical Co-Directors Honored at 17th Annual Power of Pink Luncheon
Gamma Knife program Medical Co-Directors, Dr. Ty Olson and Dr. Sang Sim were honored for their initiatives in cancer care at the 17th Annual Power of Pink Luncheon, a benefit for the Leon Hess Cancer Center at Monmouth Medical Center.
The event was hosted by Monmouth Medical Center Foundation’s Women’s Council and keynote speaker, Cynthia Nixon spoke on her experiences as a breast cancer survivor and child of a survivor.
The doctors shared their vision for serving a more expanded population that allows patients to receive advanced, multi-disciplinary cancer care close to home.
Congratulations to Dr. Olson and Dr. Sim!
Pictured left to right: Dr. Ty Olson, actress Cynthia Nixon, and Dr. Sang Sim. Credit: Rumson-Fair Haven Patch editor, Elaine Van Develde
Gamma Knife Program at Monmouth Medical Center Marks One Year of Operations
The Gamma Knife Center at Monmouth Medical Center recently celebrated its first year of treating patients. The addition of Gamma Knife technology to the hospital’s radiosurgery program helped place Monmouth Medical Center at the forefront of advanced benign and malignant brain tumor treatment, as well as treatment of functional brain disorders and vascular malformations.
Although the name may invoke images of knives and scalpels, Gamma Knife treatment doesn’t require surgery, so there’s no cutting and only local anesthesia involved.
Considered by many to be the gold standard of stereotactic radiosurgery treatment for deep-seated brain tumors, brain metastases and some functional and neurological disorders, Gamma Knife is an advanced radiosurgery system that delivers high-dose gamma radiation beams with pinpoint accuracy to targeted locations in the brain. Because of the extreme precision and accuracy of Gamma Knife treatment, damage to normal tissue surrounding a tumor or other target is minimized.
“Our first year has been successful, and we’re continuing to look at new ways to grow the Gamma Knife program and increase awareness for this advanced treatment within our community,” says Sang Sim, M.D., radiation oncologist and medical co-director of the center.
Monmouth Gamma Knife Announces Clinical Trial, Call for Patients
Monmouth Gamma Knife has launched a clinical trial and is currently recruiting patients to participate in the study.
The trial is titled “Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Recurrent High Grade Glioma in Conjunction with Bevacizumab” and more information regarding eligibility can be found by downloading the clinical trial flyer for patients.
If interested in participating in this study or to speak with the research staff, call (732) 923-6890.
Monmouth Gamma Knife Center focuses on education during Brain Tumor Awareness Month
May marks the recognition of National Brain Tumor Awareness Month. Since its establishment in 2008, community organizations and support groups honor this month with increased efforts to raise awareness of brain tumors, increase funding for research and educate the public on symptoms and treatment options.
The Central Brain Tumor Registry estimates 66,290 new cases of primary non–malignant and malignant brain and central nervous system tumors will be diagnosed in the United States in 2012. In addition, an estimated 150,000 people will develop metastatic tumors in the brain as a result of cancer cells that have spread to the brain from another part of the body.
There are more than 120 different types of brain tumors, and while not all are necessarily fatal, any brain tumor should be considered a serious health condition. Brain tumors often create increased pressure in the skull, known as intracranial hypertension. This can lead to, among other conditions, headaches, vomiting, vision problems and altered states of consciousness.
Monmouth Gamma Knife Center Celebrates Patient Safety Awareness Week
In recognition of Patient Safety Awareness Week, The Gamma Knife Center at Monmouth Medical Center joins a nation-wide effort to encourage engagement of patients, families and the community by promoting the importance of being an active participant in the health care delivery process.
National Patient Safety Awareness Week, an annual campaign led by the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF), is celebrated March 4 – 10. This year’s theme, “Be Aware for Safe Care,” spotlights the need for collaboration among health care providers, patient advocates and other community organizations to help educate patients on how they can become more engaged in the delivery of their care.
Cancer care is one area in which patients have increasingly become more aware of the need to be engaged in the treatment decision and process. With so many different treatment options for various types of cancers and the associated benefits, risks and side effects of each, patient and family engagement is crucial in ensuring an informed treatment decision is made and delivery of safe care is provided.
At Monmouth Gamma Knife Center, medical physicists play a primary role in ensuring patient safety throughout the treatment process. Gamma Knife is an advanced technology that treats malignant and benign brain tumors, as well as certain functional disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia, with a procedure called stereotactic radiosurgery, a noninvasive method of treating brain tumors with precisely targeted, high-dose radiation.