Our two, new linear accelerators (from Elekta) are designed to give precise doses of cancer-killing radiation treatment while sparing healthy tissue. This is important since our accelerators offer complete flexibility in treating difficult lesions without harming surrounding critical organs and other structures.
What is radiation therapy?
Radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, uses ionizing radiation produced by a linear accelerator (linac) to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. The radiation passes through the body and delivers dose to the affected area while minimizing dose to the skin and tissue it passes through.
Although the radiation affects both cancer and normal cells, it has a greater effect on the cancer cells, damaging their genetic material and making impossible for these cells to continue to grow and divide. Treatment aimed at cure will give the highest possible dose of radiation to the cancer area (within safe limits) to attempt to kill all the cancer cells. Sometimes smaller doses are used, where the aim is to reduce the size of a tumor and/or relieve symptoms.
Electrons are used to treat skin cancers and other superficial lesions, as they are absorbed by the first few centimeters of skin, leaving very little dose to pass into the body. Radiation therapy is used to both cure disease and alleviate the symptoms of cancer. There are also a number of non-malignant conditions that are treated using radiation therapy.
Faster, More Precise Treatments
Clinicians using Elekta Infinity can create a dose that conforms very tightly to the target area in significantly less time than with current techniques. This state-of-the-art technology uses Image Guided Radiation Therapy or IGRT. Treatments are given using CT guided imaging during the delivery of the radiation dose to the tumor. Elekta Infinity is also equipped to provide treatments that simultaneously controls five different system components - gantry position, gantry speed, leaves of the multi-leaf collimator, collimator angle and dose rate.
The state-of-the art Elekta Infinity integrates a suite of imaging tools to enable high quality, 3D imaging at the time of treatment. In addition to improving accuracy, Elekta Infinity reduces or eliminates the need for implanting markers, as clinicians can visualize soft tissue detail using Elekta Infinity.
To minimize unnecessary exposure to radiation, Elekta Infinity incorporates ultra-low dose capabilities through active leakage reduction to ensure minimal dose to critical structures, and Elekta Infinity incorporates real-time assurance that the intended dose is delivered as precisely as it was planned.
Additionally, the low-dose imaging capability of Elekta Infinity helps minimize the side effects of radiation therapy by reducing the margins previously set to account for uncertainties of target dimensions, location and movement. In addition, clinicians have the confidence that a 3D plan will be delivered as an accurately targeted 3D treatment.
In addition, we have a dedicated CT Scanner that is specifically designed for assuring the best accuracy in tumor localization and treatment. CT simulation is the basis for today's advanced conformal therapy techniques including IMRT, IGRT and radiosurgery.
Every patient who receives cancer treatment at the Sr. Caritas Cancer Center receives their own individual treatment plan that our medical staff designs with the use of Philips ADAC Treatment Planning system. The ADAC helps us to plan each patients treatment plan for the best possible outcome.