For 17 years he has sold radiation therapy
systems-suddenly he finds himself in dire
need of them.
Don Mills, 50, is a Varian
Medical Systems salesman. A gentle and reserved
man with a wife and two daughters, he is fit as only
a 30-mile-per-week runner (sun, rain, or snow) can be.
He's also a prostate cancer patient who, having considered
his family, lifestyle, and the available remedies, chose intensity
modulated radiation therapy. Don is one of a growing number of
patients who have chosen IMRT for treating their breast, prostate, lung,
or head and neck cancer.
"Before I was ever diagnosed I was awed by
IMRT," Mills explains. "It's the most dramatic advance in the 20 years
I've been involved with radiotherapy." Living in New York during
his treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center,
he runs at dawn through Central Park and gets therapy
later in the morning. "I'm being treated from five
angles," Mills says, "yet I'm in and out in
10 minutes. Before IMRT this would
have been impossible.
"I'm staking
my life on this technology.
I have complete confidence in
it, and in the therapists and
professionals helping me."
|
DON MILLS,
Varian Medical Systems
salesman and prostate
cancer patient
"I looked at the data, the
recuperation times, and the
outcomes for different
procedures. IMRT had the
highest success rate with
the fewest complications-
and it was the least
disruptive. Given my age,
lifestyle, and background,
IMRT was the best choice
for me."
DON MILLS,
Varian Medical Systems
salesman and prostate
cancer patient
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