Yawkey Foundation Grant Increases Access to Excellent Cancer Treatment at Tufts Medical Center

Research shows that disparities in cancer mortality often result from social determinants, including English-language proficiency. One example of a disparity in cancer mortality includes Asian Americans being “the only racial/ethnic group in the U.S. for whom cancer is the leading cause of death in men and women, unlike heart disease for all other groups” (Lee et. al). To combat these inequities, the Yawkey Foundation recently awarded Tufts Medical Center’s Cancer Center with a $100,000 grant to purchase the Align-RT, a system that uses visual aids to coach patients through radiation treatment. Along with helping the Medical Center better serve its diverse patient population, the technology will also work as a tool for researchers like Dr. Katie Huber, Radiation Oncologist; Dr. Chris Melhus, Chief, Radiation Oncology Medical Physics; and their team in the radiation oncology department to advance cancer treatment.

Pictured left to right: Utkarsh Shukla, MD, senior resident; Ryan Reale, therapist; Kathryn Huber, MD/PhD, radiation oncologist; Kelsey Luke, therapist; Christopher Melhus, PhD, medical physicist; Cassandra Stambaugh, PhD, medical physicist

Radiation therapy is one of the most commonly used cancer treatments, especially in individuals with breast cancer. Deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) is a technique utilized during radiation therapy where patients are carefully positioned in a linear accelerator (external radiation machine), then coached to hold their breath. Doing so effectively moves the heart away from the chest wall, significantly decreasing incidental radiation exposure to the heart and lungs. Though DIBH has been estimated to reduce mean radiation heart dose and decrease cardiac mortality, coaching patients to consistently execute DIBH presents several challenges in non-English speaking patients, including compliance and repeatability. 

Further research shows that many centers in the US do not even offer breath hold technique to non-English speaking patients because of lack of translator resources. When physicians are unable to use DIBH due to communication barriers, patients face an increased risk of serious, permanent side effects from radiation therapy.

With support from the Yawkey Foundation, the Tufts Medical Center Cancer Center will now be able to provide enhanced and personalized radiation cancer treatment through language-free visual guidance, removing a significant barrier to care. The awarded grant, designed to support nonprofit organizations in delivering on their core missions, aligns with the Yawkey Foundation’s goal of “providing the highest quality of expert care to all community members regardless of circumstance.” (Yawkey website). 

The new system uses surface guidance, the tracking of a patient’s external surface and positioning, and patient coaching to improve targeted radiation. This translates to reduced treatment time, increased patient comfort throughout the duration of radiation treatment, and overall better outcomes.

Acquiring the virtual coach will not only benefit current Tufts Medical Center patients but also those who require breast cancer treatment in the future. Through studying the effects of the AlignRT on cancer patients, researchers at the Medical Center plan on observing its influence on treatment outcomes. These findings will then be published with hopes to improve access of DIBH to non-English speaking patients across the country.

Physicians estimate the number of patients able to receive DIBH at Tufts Medical Center will more than double with the use of AlignRT. Additionally, the system will be utilized about 16 times per patient, so its impact goes far beyond a single treatment. Having this tool will truly make a significant difference for all of Tufts Medical Center’s patients, both English and non-English speakers alike.