Sharon Regional to expand cancer center

STAFF REPORT

HERMITAGE, Pa. — Sharon Regional Health System will spend $4 million to expand its Cancer Care Center at 2320 Highland Road.

Included are $2.3 million in new equipment and $1.7 million in construction costs.

The first phase will be renovating the current building to accommodate a new linear accelerator that provides image-guided radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer. The current linear accelerator will continue to be used.

Renovations are to begin within several weeks and will be handled by Hudson Group of Hermitage.

The second phase will include a 4,000-square-foot addition to the building. It will house patient changing areas, lounges and physician and staff offices.

John Zidansek, president and chief executive of Sharon Regional, said the Cancer Care Center has seen a 30 percent increase in radiation therapy procedures and a 42 percent increase in medical oncology visits in the past 12 months.

“By expanding and adding the newest technology in radiation therapy, we’ll be able to easily meet our community’s need for advanced cancer treatment,” he said.

A second radiation oncologist will join the Cancer Care Center staff in a few months to assist with the growing number of patients, he added.