High-tech arrival for oncology centre
First for Africa: the latest in high-tech radiation treatment equipment arrives at Richards Bay's new oncology centre
THERE was great excitement at the site of Richards Bay’s new oncology centre this week when the
advanced radiation therapy equipment arrived that will be at the heart of the cancer treatment process.
The first device of its kind in Africa, the ‘Varian TrueBeam’ represents a breakthrough in technology, providing unprecedented precision, guidance and speed as compared to other available devices.
‘It consists of a high intensity, high precision linear accelerator, able to generate precisely shaped beams which will be used under image guidance to accurately target and treat many types of cancer,’ said Varian sales manager Vincent Ronfle.
‘It will take about six weeks to install and the local contractor teams are working around the clock to get the facility providing treatment by the end of October.
‘This new line of ‘super’ accelerators is designed to advance the treatment of lung, breast, prostate, head, neck and other types of cancer.
‘It uses a completely re-engineered control system and a multitude of technical innovations to dynamically synchronise imaging, patient positioning, motion management and treatment delivery,’ said Ronfle.
‘The TrueBeam system can deliver treatments up to 50 percent faster, with a dose delivery rate of up to 2 400 monitor units per minute – double the maximum output of earlier, industry-leading systems.
‘This makes it possible to offer greater patient comfort by shortening treatments, and to improve precision by leaving less time for tumour motion during dose delivery.
‘A standard intensity-modulated treatment that would typically take 10 minutes can be completed in less than two minutes; complex radiosurgery that typically takes 40 minutes to an hour, can be completed in just 5 to 20 minutes.
‘Intelligent automation further speeds treatments with an up to five-fold reduction in the number of steps needed for imaging, positioning and treating patients.
‘The precision of the TrueBeam system is measured in increments of less than a millimeter.
‘Over 100 000 data points are monitored continually as a treatment progresses, ensuring that the system maintains a true isocenter (focal point of treatment) which will reduce the margin of healthy tissue affected by the treatment beam,’ said Ronfle.
