Peoria, Illinois (August 7, 2012)–Methodist Medical Center is now treating cancer patients with a new state-of-the-art GE TrueBeam medical system. The new technology allows a radically different approach to treating cancer with image-guided radiotherapy. Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses beams of radiation to destroy cancer cells. The image-guided radiotherapy destroys the cancer cells while minimizing radiation exposure to nearby healthy cells.
Dr. Mathew Carpenter, Medical Director for the Heidrich Radiation Oncology Center at Methodist, says, “This equipment integrates new imaging and motion management technologies that allow Methodist radiation oncologists to deliver treatment more quickly while monitoring and compensating for tumor motion, and allowing for new possibilities for the treatment of lung, prostate, head and neck, as well as other cancers that are treatable with radiotherapy.”
Patient benefits are substantial, including faster treatments. Patients are more comfortable due to significantly reduced time that it takes to receive a treatment. Simple treatments that once took 15 minutes or more can be completed in less than two minutes, once the patient is positioned.
Another patient benefit is enhanced precision. The precision of the TrueBeam system is measured in increments of less than a millimeter. This accuracy is made possible by synchronizing imaging, patient positioning, motion management, beam shaping and dose delivery, and performing accuracy checks every ten milliseconds during the entire treatment.
And finally the patient benefits by faster imaging at lower doses. TrueBeam imaging technology can produce the three-dimensional images used to fine-tune tumor targeting in 60% less time. It can also create images using 25% less X-ray dose.
“With this new technology, we can select the optimal treatment for every type of cancer,” said Dr. Carpenter. “This is a breakthrough that lets us bring a wider spectrum of advanced radiotherapy treatment options to many more patients and represents a quantum leap in the ability to help people fight cancer.”
