I am pleased to introduce this 18th issue of the Willmar Cancer Center annual report for calendar year 2003. The cancer program has continued to thrive and to remain quite busy with increasing numbers of patients served and increasing scope of services.

The program was reviewed once again in June 2004 and received a full three-year approval as a Community Cancer Center from the American College of Surgeons.

An important new technology was added to our armamentarium with the introduction of IMRT in the Radiation Therapy Department.

On the human side, we are making massage therapy available to patients in both the chemotherapy and radiation areas, at least on a trial basis, and we also have participated actively in the Relay for Life events in both Kandiyohi and Renville Counties. When the hospital remodeling is complete, we hope to have the American Cancer Society navigator on-site for our patient's benefit.

An element of reality was introduced this year when Dr. Shimp presented a lecture,
Approaching Oncologies' Magic Bullets...But at What Cost? This talk presented the exciting new treatments in cancer, but contrasted them with a very high cost, which they entail. We continue to live in exciting times.

We look forward to the completion of our hospital remodeling project and to the prospect of an identified cancer center on the Rice Hospital Campus.

J. Michael Ryan, M.D.
Department of Oncology