Services
Mercy Cancer Center
Calypso®
Mercy Cancer Center is the only cancer facility in Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas to offer the Calypso® 4D Localization System™, known as “GPS for the Body®.” FDA approved for use in the treatment of prostate cancer, the Calypso System helps doctors deliver focused doses of radiation with greater accuracy.
The primary goal of all radiation therapy is to target tumors and spare surrounding healthy tissue and organs. At Mercy, the cancer patient is offered the most advanced and accurate radiation technology available so the disease is attacked as aggressively as possible while minimizing side effects. The Calypso System expands treatment options for prostate cancer patients.
Tumors can experience positional changes due to normal body activity and organ motion. Calypso Medical's GPS for the Body® enables real-time, continuous monitoring of the tumor location during treatment and thus improves accuracy in targeting the prostate cancerous cells, while better protecting surrounding tissues and vital organs.
For any information specific to prostate cancer or prostate cancer treatments, please contact Mason City Clinic Urology at 641.422.6700 or Mercy Cancer Center at 641.422.6300.
The Calypso System consists of three components that work together to help the clinician manage organ motion during the delivery of external beam radiation therapy.
Beacon® transponders are the size of a grain of rice and designed for permanent implantation within the prostate prior to external beam radiation therapy.
The Calypso® 4D Localization System™ locates the implanted Beacon® electromagnetic transponders.
The 4D Tracking Station™ is used by Mercy Cancer Center’s therapist to monitor tumor position and motion during treatment delivery.
To date, Mercy Cancer Center’s prostate cancer patients have tolerated the treatment without a hitch; everything has gone very smoothly.
Radiation Oncology