ADVANCED LINEAR ACCELERATOR WITH IMRT AND VMAT (Rapid-Arc) CAPABILITY

A new state-of-the-art linear accelerator, combined with Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT), an advanced radiation oncology technology, places the Ceylinco Cancer Centre - Radiation Treatment Unit at the forefront of radiation therapy cancer treatment in Sri Lanka. The Varian Clinac iX linear accelerator, developed by Varian Medical Systems, is one of the most stable and proven machines in the world. It has over 5,000 installations around the world and is used to treat thousands of patients.

The Varian Clinac ix Linear Accelerator is a medical device used for external beam radiation therapy. It is equipped with advanced features such as, 3 Dimensional conformal therapy (3D CRT), Intensity Modulated Radio Therapy (IMRT), Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) and Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT-Rapid Arc) as well as a Portal imaging system for treatment field verification.

Patients at the Ceylinco Cancer Centre are now able to safely receive higher doses of radiation treatment, better targeting of tumours and in some cases the possibility of a reduced number of treatments through the Varian Clinac iX linear accelerator.

ENHANCED ACCURACY

A sophisticated internal computer network system links treatment planning, physics, and the CT (Computerized Tomography) simulator in Radiation Oncology, enabling the radiation oncologist to plan the most effective and accurate treatment for a patient.

BEFORE

A patient treated with traditional radiation therapy ensued lead blocks attached to the accelerator that were used to block normal tissue from undue radiation exposure. Blocks were painstakingly and individually manufactured by technicians for the various fields being treated and it was not uncommon for technicians to spend hours fabricating the blocks and verifying their accuracy before a patient could even begin treatment. During treatment time, therapists would often have to re-enter the treatment room to change the blocks and set the patient up again, a process which lengthened a patient’s time on the treatment table. With the computerized accelerator, one programs the computer for each individual patient, and then he/she can continue with their treatment everyday without further input. It eliminates the possibility of inaccurate data entry. If any data is entered that doesn’t correspond to the initial approved plan it is discarded.

IMPACT OF IMRT

IMRT technology improves radiation treatment by making the direction of the beam so precise that surrounding normal tissue is spared from radiation. Oncologists can decide where to provide peak doses and lower doses and can also confidently maximize the amount of radiation to the tumor, as side effects, resulting from radiation to normal tissue is minimized. IMRT technology has already been applied to patients with prostate cancer and head and neck cancer at major academic institutions. Good results are also anticipated in treating breast cancer because high dose radiation can be given without damaging any major organs. IMRT is a major advance in radiation oncology technology because it allows precision in dosage, which was previously impossible to produce. IMRT breaks the irradiation field into hundreds of pixels and allows the physician to control the dose within each pixel. We are proud to be one of the few hospitals in Asia to purchase a linear accelerator and a new treatment planning system with IMRT capability.

IMPACT OF VMAT (RAPID-Arc)

Offering enhanced accuracy and reduced treatment times, RapidArc™ delivers highly conformal doses of radiation through complete 360-degree rotation and speed variations of the linear accelerator gantry, enabling the Linac to provide Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT).

Compared with conventional radiotherapy techniques, VMAT can achieve high-target volume coverage while minimising damage to normal tissues.

Because RapidArc treatments are fast, patients undergoing radiation are not required to stay still for long, and each treatment session lasts only a few minutes, the Centre said. Intensity Modulated Radiation Treatment (IMRT) which usually takes 15 to 20 minutes can now be completed in a fraction of that time.