A Million-Dollar Mission: Advancing Cancer Treatment in North Central Pennsylvania

Inside the Radiation Oncology suite at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Williamsport, cutting-edge technology meets compassionate care. From lifesaving treatments to innovative radiation therapy techniques, discover how a small city is making a big impact in the fight against cancer. Plus, learn how a new linear accelerator could transform outcomes for patients across north central Pennsylvania.

Williamsport, Pennsylvania — birthplace of Little League Baseball and a haven for Victorian architecture — is also the medical hub of rural north central Pennsylvania. Founded in 1866, the city boasts a rich history. Though far from the urban centers of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Williamsport offers patients access to some of the most advanced radiation

oncology techniques and technologies, thanks to UPMC Hillman Cancer Center’s services at the UPMC Williamsport Divine Providence Campus.

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center’s Radiation Oncology Department: A Beacon of Hope

Radiation therapy, also known as radiotherapy, uses x-rays or other high-energy types of radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors — often making surgery or chemotherapy more effective. According to the National Library of Medicine, about 50% of people with cancer receive some form of radiation during their treatment.

At UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Williamsport, a skilled team delivers radiation therapy to approximately 30 patients daily from across a 14-county region. In 2024 alone, the cancer center administered nearly 8,000 treatments to 675 new patients and 214 returning patients.

The Power of Partnership: One Patient’s Story

Deborah Helm is a two-time cancer survivor. In 2017, she was diagnosed with squamous cell rectal cancer, which was successfully treated with radiation and chemotherapy. After seven cancer-free years, Deborah learned the devastating news that she had developed breast cancer. A mammogram was followed by a biopsy, and an aggressive tumor was found in her left breast. “It can’t be happening again,” she thought. “Not again.”

A true fighter, Deborah didn’t hesitate to begin cancer treatment. This time, her treatment included chemotherapy, lumpectomy, and radiation at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Williamsport. Only there was a new challenge. At 78, holding her breath and staying still long enough for the radiation treatment was nearly impossible, even though it was critically necessary.

Deborah’s care team introduced a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to control her breathing during her treatment. This would allow them to target the cancer with minimal radiation exposure to her healthy tissue, including her heart.

At first Deborah and her husband were skeptical and concerned about using the device. “We thought, ‘Wasn’t that the machine with the mask for people with sleep apnea?’” she recalls. After the benefits were explained to them, however, she agreed to try it out.

“It worked like a charm,” Deborah says. “With a CPAP, I could remain still the whole time. I used it for all my 20 radiation treatments.”

“Using a CPAP device with radiation therapy is a way to protect the heart while we use radiation on another organ,” says David Cousins, M.D., radiation oncologist. The device helps patients hold still longer during the treatment, allowing medical staff to carefully target tumors while sparing the healthy surrounding tissue. While common in Europe, this technique is still emerging in the United States.

Reflecting on her experience, Deborah shares, “People are scared to death when they have cancer. Every treatment session is a reminder of what they’re battling. The wonderful radiation oncology team at UPMC is always so kind and supportive, and that’s a lifeline to their patients — exactly when they need it most.”

Timely Care Close to Home

Deborah’s story is a powerful reminder of how compassionate care and timely innovation can make all the difference. At UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Williamsport, exceptional, close-to-home care isn’t the exception — it’s the standard.

Her journey also highlights the importance of early detection. Deborah’s breast cancer was discovered through a routine mammogram — a screening that gave her a fighting chance. Regular screenings can detect cancer in its earliest stages, when it’s most treatable and outcomes are often more favorable.

Understanding how overwhelming a cancer diagnosis can be, the team at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center works tirelessly to ensure patients aren’t left waiting. New patients are welcomed with immediate access to care, enabling them to get answers, begin planning treatment, and feel supported from the very start.

More than Cancer: Treating a Range of Conditions

Since its inception, the Radiation Oncology team has been a lifeline for patients like Deborah. But their impact extends far beyond cancer care.

In addition to treating a wide range of cancers — including breast, lung, prostate, and brain tumors — the department also provides advanced therapies for certain noncancerous conditions such as benign tumors and thyroid disorders. Using technologies such as external beam radiation, brachytherapy, and radiosurgery, the team delivers precise, minimally invasive treatments that reduce side effects and improve outcomes.

“Our expertise extends to pain management and palliative support for advanced disease,” explains Dr. Cousins. “And with new innovations emerging all the time, we’ll be able to do even more — providing treatment with greater accuracy, speed, and comfort than ever before.”

Investing in Tomorrow’s Treatments

To continue delivering cutting-edge care, Susquehanna Health Foundation is raising $1 million to help fund a new Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator for the Radiation Oncology Department at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Williamsport. The total cost of this state-of-the-art equipment is $6.5 million.

This upgrade will ensure patients in north central Pennsylvania have access to the most advanced technology — on par with major metropolitan hospitals and leading academic medical centers. The TrueBeam system will enhance treatment precision and effectiveness, leading to improved patient outcomes. Donor support is vital to making this upgrade possible.

Faster, More Precise Treatment

The TrueBeam system delivers radiation at higher dose rates, meaning shorter treatment times and less time on the table. This reduces the chance of patient movement, which offers several benefits:

• Tumors can be targeted more accurately, sparing healthy tissue.
• Less repeat imaging is needed to realign the patient.
• Appointments are shorter and more efficient.

Its automated process also streamlines work flow, eliminating the need for therapists to re-enter the room once the patient is positioned.

With stereotactic body radiation therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery capabilities, the TrueBeam system will deliver pinpoint-accurate, image-guided treatment in a fraction of the time required by conventional methods. Treatments that once required 20 to 45 sessions can now often be completed in as few as five — or even one.

This technology is especially effective for treating hard-to-reach tumors in the brain, lungs, head and neck, and other areas of the body.

The TrueBeam system brings some of the most

advanced features today:

• Higher image quality for precise tumor targeting.
• Integrated Gated RapidArc radiotherapy, which monitors breathing during treatment and compensates for tumor motion.
• Consolidated equipment features, replacing older, separate devices.

Help Us Deliver Tomorrow’s Cancer Care — Today

Your support can bring this life-changing technology to patients.

We’re raising $1 million to make this possible.

Every gift brings us closer to our goal — and to renewed hope for patients like Deborah.

Make your impact today.

To donate:

• Click Here to Donate
• Call 570-320-7460

Together, we can bring world-class care home.