February 7, 2008
Palo Alto Medical Foundation is First in the World to Have “Breakthrough” Device for Radiosurgery
Ultra-Fine Beam-Shaping Device Enables “Unsurpassed” Treatment Accuracy
PAMF recently became the first health care organization in the world with a new high-definition multileaf collimator (HD 120 MLC), an ultra-fine device for radiosurgery that shapes each treatment beam to match the exact contour of a tumor or other target. This technology allows doctors to treat brain tumors and cancer in all parts of the body with unsurpassed accuracy – all with fewer side effects, greater patient comfort and improved outcomes.
“This next-generation technology improves the precision of the treatment beam significantly, allowing us to treat a wide spectrum of conditions, including the treatment of tumors and cancers that were once thought to be untreatable because of their location close to vital organs, delicate body structures and other soft tissues,” said Gordon Ray, M.D., head of PAMF’s Department of Radiation Oncology, who added that PAMF is continuing with quality assurance testing of the system and will begin offering the state-of-the-art treatment in spring of this year.
Despite its name, radiosurgery is actually a non-invasive medical procedure in which high-energy X-rays are delivered to the target from a machine outside the body. With the HD120 MLC, which is part of PAMF’s Novalis Tx® radiosurgery system from Varian Medical Systems and BrainLab, patients receive an ultra-precise dose of high-intensity radiation – accurate within fractions of a centimeter – while avoiding the pain and complications associated with conventional surgery.
To ensure this level of pinpoint accuracy, the radiosurgery system’s sophisticated software calculates the ideal areas of the body in which to access the target for treatment, and the ultra-fine beam-shaping device molds to the target’s contours. This ensures that even irregularly shaped targets receive an exact dose of radiation individually tailored to the medical needs of the patient. It also helps significantly reduce side effects from the treatment, as the radiosurgery system zeros in on the target and avoids exposing nearby healthy tissues to the treatment beam.
“One of the greatest benefits of radiosurgery as performed with the Novalis TX is faster treatment times,” said Pauling Chang, M.D., a PAMF radiation oncologist and head of the Stanley and Carolyn Hiller Radiosurgical Center, which is part of PAMF’s Cancer Center.
“Previously when receiving radiosurgical treatment, a patient would have to lie as still as possible for up to one hour or more,” said Dr. Chang. “Not only was this uncomfortable for patients, but longer treatment times also makes patient movement more likely, which can impact treatment accuracy. With this radiosurgery system, treatment takes only a matter of minutes and can often be performed in a single session. The system also continuously monitors the patient, allowing for adjustment of the patient’s position, if necessary.”
The Novalis TX is the latest technology being utilized by PAMF to provide patients with the highest quality care and most effective treatments for cancer. For years, PAMF has been using Varian’s On-Board Imager and cone beam computed tomography (CT) system to verify patient positioning prior to treatment, thereby improving the effectiveness of cancer treatments. These technologies give physicians a clear picture of a patient’s anatomy, which allows them to deliver treatment more precisely while reducing side effects. According to Dr. Chang, PAMF’s new radiosurgery system will combine all of these imaging and treatment modalities.
“We have always been committed to providing patients with the most advanced treatment options available in a convenient, comfortable outpatient environment,” said Dr. Chang, who added that PAMF is one of only a handful of outpatient facilities in the country to offer radiosurgery. “Adding radiosurgery is just one example of how we’re using the latest technology available today to provide our patients with world-class care.”
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