W h e n t h e n e w l i n e a r a c c e l e r a t o r i s o p e r a t i o n a l t h i s s u m m e r , t h e U P M C / S t. C l a i r
Cancer Center Expansion Underway at St. Clair Hospital t. Clair Hospital’s main campus in Mt. Lebanon
S
at UPMC/St. Clair Hospital Cancer Center. “When the
continues to grow in size and stature with construction
renovation and the addition of the new linear accelerator
underway on an addition to the UPMC/St. Clair Hospital
are completed, the center will offer even more advanced
Cancer Center.
services and increased patient access.”
Patients of UPMC/St. Clair Hospital Cancer Center ―
A linear accelerator delivers high-energy X-rays to a
a joint venture between St. Clair Hospital and UPMC ―
patient’s tumor with precision and accuracy, destroying
are already afforded the same diagnosis and treatment
cancer cells while sparing the surrounding normal tissue.
expertise available at UPMC’s internationally regarded
Image-guided radiation therapy, or IGRT, also utilizes two-
Hillman Cancer Center, without leaving the area.
and three-dimensional imaging to target radiation treatments
A 1,885-square-foot addition to the existing 8,000-squarefoot center is being built. The new addition primarily involves
to specific parts and organs of the body. The center, which is easily accessible to patients from
the construction of a “vault” with 84-inch thick walls to
the Fourth Floor of the Hospital and from the driveway off
house a second new linear accelerator. Planning began in
Bower Hill Road, also offers on-site PET (positron emission
July and final approvals were gained in mid-December.
tomography)/CT (computed tomography) imaging services.
Construction is slated to be completed in mid to late summer.
On-site radiologists use the PET/CT images to pinpoint
“Complete cancer care has long been available at St. Clair,” says Robert S. Werner, M.D., a radiation oncologist
the location of cancerous activity in the tissue, so a biopsy can be performed and proper treatment begun.
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This architect’s rendering depicts what the UPMC/St. Clair Hospital Cancer Center will look like from Bower Hill Road when a 1,885-square-foot addition to the building is completed this summer. The addition will house a second linear accelerator for treating cancer.
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