Beam shaping
radiosurgery has
I %Lint accuracy

Front Lines

NCIF OOK

Meet one of the faces of success

Kenneth Levin, M.D., is director of
radiation services at Henry Ford
Medical Center—West Bloomfield,
and a member of the Henry Ford
Medical Group. He is board
certified in radiation oncology and
internal medicine.

Growing up near Maple and
Telegraph Roads, Dr. Levin was
influenced by his father, a
Bloomfield Hills physician, to enter
the medical field.

He leads a team of specialists in
radiation oncology at the Henry
Ford Medical Center—West
Bloomfield and sees patients at
Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

"In 15 years of practicing medicine,
I've found the team approach at
Henry Ford to be unique," says Dr.
Levin. "With the multidisciplinary
method of our experts providing
comprehensive patient care, we're
all in this together."

His special interests include treat-
ing tumors of the central nervous
system, chest, and breast, as well
as using . stereotactic radiosurgery.
This procedure delivers a high dose
of radiation to a tightly focused site
in as little as one session.

"I've used the Gamma Knife
procedure to treat tumors for eight
years, having been trainedto use it
in Sweden," he says.

"I'm really excited about the more
versatile Novalis Image-Guided
Shaped-Beam Radiosurgery sys-
tern, which Henry Ford Hospital
has been using successfully for
more than four years.

"The newer Novalis system
expands on the concept of Gamma
Knife technology, which can only
be used on the brain. Both target a
tumor for radiation, but only the
Novalis can be used on tumors
located in areas of the body beyond
the brain. It allows more flexibility
in a patient's treatment, giving
Henry Ford experts broad-ranging
experience in radiosurgery. We are
national leaders in this technique,
having the only Novalis unit in
Michigan."

For more information or to make an
appointnwnt call 1-8o0-HEArRYFORD or
visit our Web site www.lienryfOrd.com

12 May 11

2006

The Novalis
system targets
a tumor for
radiation
beams from
multiple direc-
tions, main-
taining a focus
with millimeter
accuracy, while
compensating Kenneth Levin, M.D.
for organ
movement.
This is especially important when
treating body sites, which must be
accurately targeted while moving
with each breath.

"While both techniques are
non-invasive outpatient procedures,
the Gamma Knife requires attaching
a metal frame to the patient's head
with pins," says Dr. Levin. "For
many patients needing cranial treat-
ment, the Novalis system offers the
option of a special mask, making it a
truly bloodless procedure.

."The use of standard radiation
treatments may limit the ability to
administer other necessary thera-
pies at the same time," he cautions.-
When dealing with disease involv-
ing multiple sites, the standard
procedure has been two weeks of
conventional radiation treatments,
which typically cannot be done
concurrently with chemotherapy.
Delaying the onset of systemic
treatment can adversely affect a
patient's outcome."

—

Dr. Levin stresses that the Novalis
system achieves the same benefit
with a one-to-four-day treatment,
after which the systemic medica-
tion can begin immediately.
Patients usually return to their
normal activities on the same day
as the treatment.
• -

"I'm looking forward to bringing
stereotactic radiosurgery to West
Bloomfield in the near future," he
says.

Dr. Levin resides in West
• Bloomfield with his wife and two
children, who attend Hillel Day
School. The family is affiliated with
Congregation Shaarey Zedek.

H MC Highway:

Jihad Watcher

Community members pitched in
Calling Islam a proselytizing religion
to help unveil the new "Holocaust
that teaches Muslims to wage war to
Memorial Highway" sign on May 7.
impose Islamic law on non-Muslim
Recently, the State of Michigan
states, Robert Spencer, author and
Department of Transportation
director of Jihad Watch, spoke to 100
officially renamed the portion of
people at Adat Shalom Synagogue in
Northwestern Highway, from Orchard
Farmington Hills on May 4.
Lake Road in Farmington Hills to
"There's no doubt that there have
1-696 in Southfield. The Holocaust •
been people of every religion who are
Memorial Center is located nearby on
absolutely rotten and have done terrible
Orchard Lake Road, north of 12 Mile,
thins in the name of religion," he said at
in Farmington Hills.
the Zionist Organization of
"This stretch of Holocaust
America, Michigan Region-
Memorial Highway will sym-
sponsored event. "The dif-
bolize a road of liberty and
ference here is we're talking
justice for all," said Holocaust
about is whether what they
Memorial Center founder and
did was justified by the
chief executive officer Rabbi
teachings of the religion, or
Charles Rosenzveig, during
whether it was in contra-
the 20-minute unveiling. "Our
diction to their religion?'
hope is that these signs on
Islam "teaches all believ-
this highway will awaken our Robert S pencer
ers must wage war against
consciousness for the need of
non-believers," he said.
compassion and brotherhood.
Arab countries have a
A highway whose destiny will lead to a . stranglehold on the world with their
better world for all humanity."
vast oil reserves, and their support of
State Rep. David Law, R-Commerce,
terrorism, Spencer said. He said the
who introduced the bill, said, "We can- only solution is alternative energy.
not go back in time and fix what hap-
"Will this solution be easy?" he said.
pened but we can make sure the les-
"The Manhattan Project was a huge,
sons of the holocaust are never forgot-
concerted effort that had the full sup-
ten and those who perished, survived
port of the U.S. government, an incred-
and their families are honored. This
ible concentration of intellectual energy
sign is a step in that direction?'
working 24 hours a day to find this
- Harry Kirsbaum, staff writer
nuclear technology. Why isn't there an
effort find some solution? It's going to
be very difficult by the time it happens,
but by the time it happens, it will be
too late?'

— Harry Kirsbaum, staff writer

HEALTH SYSTEM