Cancer Center receives $9,000 WCRS grant

New software may help improve quality of life

A $9,000 grant was recently awarded to Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County’s Sweetwater Regional Cancer Center from Wyoming Cancer Resource Services.

The grant money will be used to purchase Radformation’s EZFluence software, said Tasha Harris, Sweetwater Regional Cancer Center director.

“We are grateful to WCRS for the generous grant,” Harris said. “This is a software that can help with radiation treatment planning and enable us to more efficiently design effective treatment plans for cancer patients, and may lessen treatment side effects. This could improve the quality of life of our patients.”

“WCRS will do all it can do to help improve a patient’s cancer journey,” said Kelly Sugihara, WCRS Region V Coordinator. “That is what we are here for.”

Wyoming Cancer Resource Services focuses on eliminating barriers and survivorship, along with promoting the Wyoming Breast, Cervical and Colorectal Program, Sugihara said.

In awarding the grant, Sugihara also gifted the center a framed canvas that serves as a tribute to those whose lives have been touched by cancer.

“It is kind of a memorial to all cancer patients,” Sugihara said.

The canvas was made available during the 2017 Wyoming’s Big Show ­– the Sweetwater County Fair. The signatures are from Sweetwater County residents whose lives were touched by cancer, fought cancer or were a caretaker to someone with cancer. Family and friends also added names of those who lost their life to cancer.

“Everyone’s lives have been touched by cancer in some way,” Harris said. “We are grateful to Kelly with WCRS for the beautiful canvas to help us remember the amazing people in our community who have been fighters, survivors, caregivers, friends and neighbors. We are all in this together and we are all here for each other.”