the most complex tumors could be treated with sub-millimeter accuracy quickly and comfortably?
radiation therapy could start in days instead of weeks?
radiation could precisely target cancer cells – sparing healthy tissue, reducing side effects, and getting patients back to their normal lives faster?
our community could receive the most advanced, life-saving cancer treatments close to home?
For more than 17 years, The Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital has set the standard
for compassionate, convenient, state-of-the-art cancer treatment that unites science and sensitivity in a healing environment. With a focus on personalized patient-centered care, accessibility, and advanced technology, the Center serves individuals and families throughout the Valley region at every stage of their cancer journey. Our highly-trained Griffin Health surgeons, staff, and therapists combine to form a care team that offers unmatched comprehensive cancer care.
Griffin Health is launching a transformational project to revolutionize radiation therapy for cancer
patients in our region. Our goal is to raise $2 million to acquire and implement Brainlab’s ExacTrac Dynamic Patient Monitoring System and Elements Treatment Planning Platform —next-generation tools that bring world-class precision and unequaled emotional and physical comfort to those fighting cancer in our community.
This is about more than upgrading equipment. It’s about redefining what’s possible for the hundreds of patients who walk through our doors each year—mothers, fathers, neighbors, and friends. This breakthrough system represents a transformative leap in cancer care.
With your support, this project will:
Treat more complex and delicate cases that are currently referred elsewhere
Shorten planning time from days to hours, relieving patient anxiety by starting their treatment faster
Pinpoint tumors in real time, even when patients move or breathe, to significantly reduce the length of time for treatments
Prevent damage to healthy tissue with exceptional precision, improving comfort, recovery, and long-term survival
Eliminate travel burdens, so families can focus on healing, not logistics
The number of individuals seeking cancer care at Griffin Health is growing. In Connecticut alone, over 21,000 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed this year, reflecting national trends that continue to rise due to aging populations and improved screening efforts. More than 50% of all cancer patients are treated with radiation therapy, and tumors near the spine, brain, or lungs require high-level precision.
The success of advancements in cancer treatment has also added pressure
to cancer centers as individuals who beat cancer remain at an increased
risk for recurrence and for cancer to develop in other parts of the body.
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the region, with rates of breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers among the most commonly diagnosed in the Greater Lower Naugatuck Valley community. Griffin Health serves a broad, diverse population in the Valley, many of whom face barriers such as transportation limitations, financial hardship, or the emotional toll of traveling long distances for care. For these patients, access to timely, high-quality radiation therapy close to home is not just a convenience—it’s essential to adherence, outcomes, and quality of life.
We’re asking you to join us as Griffin seeks to take bold steps in advancing its technology. Our current linear accelerator (LINAC), the cornerstone of radiation treatment that generates high-energy X-rays or electrons to destroy tumor cells, is becoming outdated, making parts sparse and limiting technological updates. In looking for a new LINAC, Griffin has a wonderful opportunity to invest in a highly advanced system of care called Brainlab’s Elements and ExacTrac Dynamic Precision Patient Monitoring System. When integrated into the new LINAC, this technology will equip Griffin to treat more complex cancers, including stage 4 cancer, with precision and increased efficiency.
“In Connecticut, when treating patients with brain cancers, we currently need to make use of very rigid and invasive approaches that require patients to be bolted into a headframe resulting in discomfort and anxiety. With the Brainlab technology that Griffin is acquiring, we will be able to offer a far more advanced patient-centered solution. With real-time imaging, AI assisted and submillimeter precision, we can treat brain and spine tumors without invasive hospital stays or headframes.”
“With this upgrade we’ll be able to treat far more types of cancer and in more places in the body than ever before. These upgrades allow us to deliver faster and more targeted treatment right here at Griffin so that patients can heal with few side effects and less stress as they won’t have to go to a facility that lacks Griffin’s warmth and personal attention.”
Tests that took us days or even weeks such as mapping, imaging and preparing for treatments can now be completed in hours. This means patients aren’t waiting days to start care. It’s faster, less stressful and allows us to begin treatments when it matters most- right away. What’s truly powerful is how it positions us to care for people across every stage of their journey, not just once, but again with precision and competence.
This fundraising campaign isn’t just about technology and equipment. It’s about restoring control, dignity, and hope to people at their most vulnerable moments. It’s about providing mothers, fathers, neighbors, and friends with breakthrough, life-saving cancer care without having to wait long or travel far to get it.
Bring the new linear accelerator to the Center for Cancer Care, which is essential to radiation therapy treatment
Fund the installation and training for Brainlab’s advanced systems Deliver faster, precise, and compassionate care to many patients each year
Help ensure that no one in our community faces cancer alone
To learn more and discuss ways you can contribute, please contact Griffin Hospital Development Fund Executive Director Kristy Jelenik at kjelenik@griffinhealth.org or 203-732-7539.