SANFORD — Six years ago, Linda Nadeau of Wells had her first colonoscopy. She awoke to her daughter crying beside her, and a grim diagnosis – Stage 3 colorectal cancer.

Fast-forward to this past April. After many rounds of radiation and chemotherapy, followed by surgery and more treatment, she has been told she is now cancer-free .

Nadeau told her story Monday afternoon at the Cancer Care Center of York County, which is marking its 10th anniversary. She received treatment at the center, which allowed her to continue to work at Sanford Institution for Savings.

“I’d leave my desk at noon, come here and be back within an hour,” she said. “It meant some normalcy in my life when the rest of my world was falling apart.”

CCCYC Director Karen Pierce-Stewart said the center, which offers state-of-the-art radiation treatment as well as chemotherapy and an array of adjunct services, conducts 10,000 procedures a year – 100,000 over the 10 years since it opened.

Ground was broken in 2004 as a collaboration between the former Goodall Hospital, Southern Maine Medical Center and Maine Medical Center. The facility, the only one of its kind in York County, opened in 2006.

Following a merger between Goodall Hospital and Southern Maine Medical Center into Southern Maine Health Care, the collaboration continues.

To help mark the 10th anniversary, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, toured the center on Monday afternoon. While there, she learned from Dr. Philip Villiotte about a new state-of-the art linear accelerator that offers precise radiation treatment, resulting in fewer side effects and better results.

For Lee Goldsmith of Acton, the center is a 20- mile drive for treatment rather than a lengthier trek to Portland or Scarborough. A prostate cancer patient, Goldsmith said he is looking forward to Wednesday, when he will have completed his 44 radiation treatments.

Radiation is given five days a week. Goldsmith, who is retired, said he usually arrives about 8 a.m. and departs by 8:45 a.m.

“Everyone here is top shelf,” he said.

Nadeau agreed.

“They think about your whole inner soul,” she said.

Pierce-Stewart told Collins that the center also offers services such as nutrition counseling, massage, reiki, meditation and more. A sun safety program offered to schools in York and Cumberland counties has just earned a “best practice” designation from the Commission on Cancer, and Pierce-Stewart said hair stylists across York County have been trained to look for signs of skin cancer.

“We’re proud of what this center has done,” said board Chairman Bob Hardison.

Another CCCYC board member, Arline Fortier, knows what having cancer is like – she’s a 13-year survivor of breast cancer. But when she was diagnosed, the facility did not exist.

Fortier said at that time, there were no local services, with the exception of two doctors at Goodall Hospital. She underwent 18 months of chemotherapy and a clinical trial for Herceptin.

“I’m lucky to be alive,” she said.

Collins noted the extensive renovations to the facility, the new equipment – the linear accelerator is the newest anywhere – the staff, and the benefit of treatment close to home.

“Linda (Nadeau) said it best,” said Collins. “When you’re battling cancer, you need normalcy in your life, and that is what this center accomplishes.”

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.