59-year-old Barbara Van Zandt of Prather couldn't believe what happened to other people ... happened to her.
Barbara Van Zandt: "I just felt like my life was over and all these plans for future ... I just felt it had come to an end.
She noticed a lump in her breast and after her doctor's diagnosis ... got ready to wage the fight of her life.
"I had cancer. And I want to go forward to get rid of this."
Dr. Jedediah Monson at "Cancer Care Associates" in northeast Fresno gives Barbara some welcome news. She'll be one of the first patients in the country to undergo the most advanced targeted radiation procedure, available.
Dr. Monson says the state-of the art treatment called "Rapid Arc" delivers pinpointed radiation to cancer, virtually anywhere in the body. He says, unlike other methods, rapid arc cuts treatment time from 15 to 45 minutes ... down to just a couple of minutes ... drastically reducing the damage to healthy, surrounding tissue.
Jedidiah Monson, MD: "With rapid arc, you eliminate a huge amount of background radiation to normal tissue so most of its focused on the tumor itself."
This video is provided by Varian ... the makers of Rapid Arc.
The company says its sophisticated technology creates a more focused dose of radiation to the tumor as the machine rotates around the patient. Higher precision means less time on the table and less radiation to healthy tissue ... cutting down on harsh side effects.
Dr. Monson says the Rapid Arc Technology costs about 5-million-dollars and cancer care received its machine even before Duke University.
For Barbara Van Zandt the advanced treatment couldn't have come at a better time.
"I have a lot to live for ...I do.
"Rapid Arc" is covered by most health insurance as a cancer treatment.
