About Vantage

 

VALLEY CANCER CENTER ANNOUNCES JOINT VENTURE WITH VANTAGE ONCOLOGY - Vantage Oncology to Provide Management and Technology Upgrades to
Valley Cancer Center Located at St. Margaret’s Hospital

SPRING VALLEY, Ill. (July 11, 2007) – As part of its continued efforts to provide innovative radiation treatment to cancer patients of the central Illinois area, Valley Cancer Center recently announced that it has entered into a joint venture with El Segundo, California-based Vantage Oncology, Inc. Neelima Kabre, M.D. will remain the provider of radiation therapy services, under the existing license with the Illinois Department of Public Health. The joint venture is Vantage Oncology’s second in the Chicago area, having recently acquired South Suburban Cancer Center in Hazel Crest.
As part of the joint venture, Vantage Oncology, Inc., which operates state-of-the-art radiation oncology centers throughout the United States, will provide capital, advanced information technologies, and management experience that will enable Valley Cancer Center to upgrade its internal operations and current technology.

“We are excited about this joint venture with Vantage Oncology because it provides us with an outstanding solution to our radiation oncology needs, by bringing capital and extensive management experience to the center,” said Dr, Kabre, President of Valley Cancer Center, located on the campus of St. Margaret’s Hospital. “This partnership also enables us to enhance Valley Cancer Center’s radiation oncology program and ensures that our served communities will have access to the most precise and sophisticated cancer treatments available.”

Vantage Oncology recently added Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) to the facility’s existing Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) technology. IMRT and IGRT are two significant innovations in radiation therapy technology being used to fight cancer. By combining daily imaging to confirm the size and location of the tumor before each treatment session, radiation oncologists can more precisely treat tumors located throughout the body.  As a result, patients are exposed to less radiation, thereby helping to preserve healthy tissue and decreasing potential side effects.  

“New technologies such as IMRT and IGRT help to plan and deliver higher doses of radiation to the tumor with less complications and side effects,” said Dr. Kabre. In addition to IMRT and IGRT, the center is equipped with Three-Dimensional (3-D) Conformal Therapy and CMS “Focus” 3-D Treatment Planning. Dr. Kabre also provides interstitial radiation therapy, including Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy. “With the multi-disciplinary approach to treating malignancies today, our new technology will undoubtedly result in optimal results for the patient,” said Dr. Kabre.

“The joint venture between Valley Cancer Center and Vantage Oncology will provide patients of the central Illinois area with access to state-of-the-art diagnostic and radiation therapy services,” said Michael T. Fiore, CEO of Vantage Oncology.  “In combination with the expertise of Dr. Kabre and her clinical staff and the recent addition of IGRT, I am confident that we have assembled a team of experts that can effectively educate and treat the patients who have entrusted us with their health.”
 
ABOUT VANTAGE ONCOLOGY, INC.
Founded in October 2002, El Segundo, California-based Vantage Oncology, Inc. acquires joint ventures, develops and operates state-of-the-art radiation oncology centers.  Vantage Oncology was created in response to the growing need among cancer patients, hospitals and physicians for accessible and advanced radiation treatment therapies.  Vantage Oncology is led by a seasoned management team, including Chief Executive Officer Michael Fiore, Medical Director Leslie Botnick, M.D., Chief Financial Officer Marshal Salomon and Chief Development Officer Mark Ahern.  For more information about Vantage Oncology, visit www.vantageoncology.com.

ABOUT VALLEY CANCER CENTER
Valley Cancer Center was founded by Dr. Neelima Kabre in 1984. She has provided radiation therapy care to cancer patients in the community for the past 23 years.   In 2007 a joint venture agreement with Vantage Oncology and Dr. Kabre was formed. Since its inception, the center has offered state-of the-art external beam radiation technology, including Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) and interstitial radiation therapy, including Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy. Dr. Kabre treats all types of cancer and has a special interest in breast and prostate cancers. Valley Cancer Center is located in Spring Valley, Illinois, in the central part of the state. It is approximately 60 miles west of the intersection of Interstates I55 and I80, just off of Interstate I80. For more information about Valley Cancer Center, visit www.SpringValleyCancerCenter.com.