Cancer centre chooses new radiation imaging software
- 21 February 2007
The Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff, Wales is set to deploy a new Image Guided Radiation Therapy system called Elekta Synergy in order to be able to view high resolution images at the time of therapy.
Elekta Synergy has been designed to aid consultants visualise internal structures, including soft tissues, in three dimensions within the reference frame of the treatment system and at the time of treatment.
The new radiation therapy treatment system directly addresses the two most persistent and significant problems in modern radiation therapy, internal organ motion and errors in patient set-up.
It allows the clinician to minimise geometric uncertainties resulting from both organ motion/deformation and slight differences in patient set-up.
Velindre Cancer Centre, part of the Velindre NHS Trust, have invested in two units of Elekta Synergy.
An Elekta spokesperson told EHI: “With five linear accelerators, specialist machines used to deliver radiotherapy cancer treatments, installed already at the Velindre Cancer Centre, part of the Velindre NHS Trust, the centre is already able to offer a high standard of treatment to their patients. However, by purchasing two Elekta Synergy systems for their department, using these new advanced linear accelerators they are now able to produce high resolution 3D images of the target area directly prior to treatment.
“Initially, we will implement one system this spring to trace the existing five machines. The system will go-live online to commence treatment of patients in early 2008. We will then add a second unit for new images later that year.”
Velindre Cancer Centre felt they needed a new system to meet projections by the Welsh Cancer Services Coordinating Group, that there will be a significant increase in the incidence of common cancers over the next 10 years.
It is anticipated that the overall incidence of prostate, breast and colorectal cancer (which represent approximately half of cancer cases) will increase by 28.5% during this period.
The Elekta spokesperson added: “To meet this increased demand and to provide highest standards of treatment, between 6 and 10 new additional linear accelerators will be required in Wales by 2016, adding to the 11 replacement systems that will be needed over this time scale. The Velindre Cancer Centre procurement is a first step in this program.
“These images are used to identify soft tissue structures and bony anatomy within the patient. Without such information there is a risk of delivering the radiation dose inaccurately, due to the tumour having moved since the patient’s diagnostic scan.”
Elekta claims that Image Guided Radiation Therapy will ensure that damage to healthy tissue and vital organs is minimized and allows the clinician to optimise the entire course of radiotherapy by tracking the tumour for movement and size reduction as the patients treatment progresses.
Velindre Cancer Centre’s director of cancer services, Andrea Hague, said: “With the ambition to provide the best care available for our patients, we have conducted an extensive evaluation of existing technologies, focusing on image quality, ease-of use and an efficient workflow, enabling us to cope with a large number of patients without compromising in the quality of care.”
The system has been used successfully at the Christie Hospital NHS Trust to help with therapy for cancer patients, including offline IGRT for a non-small cell lung tumour.
As well as the Synergy systems, Velindre have also invested in MOSAIQ information management software, designed specifically for use in Oncology departments from IMPAC.
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