(WYNNEWOOD, PA; May 2007) -- The next generation in radiation treatment  technology is now at The Cancer Center of Lankenau Hospital where radiation oncologists are targeting cancerous tumors with real time pretreatment verification allowing even greater precision than ever before.

Lankenau is the first suburban Philadelphia hospital to install the robotic On-Board Imager® Imaging System from Varian Medical Systems. The technology completes upgrades in the Department of Radiation Oncology to facilitate cutting-edge, image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) for cancer patients, according to Lankenau's Chief of Radiation Oncology Albert S. DeNittis, MD.

"With this new imaging capability, we are better able to tailor radiation treatments to each patient's needs," said Dr. DeNittis. "For the patient, the benefits are more accurate treatment, allowing for dose escalation, and the potential for better outcomes."

The On-Board Imager integrates real-time tumor tracking, the ability to adjust patient positioning when necessary, and the precision of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). IMRT, an advanced form of radiotherapy offered at Lankenau for the last four years, shapes the radiation beam to match the tumor's dimensions to so a high dose of radiation can be delivered directly to the malignancy without harming surrounding normal tissue .

"A combination of imaging techniques on the On-Board Imager, including high-resolution, three-dimensional CT images and fluoroscopic moving images complements IMRT by improving the accuracy of the radiation delivered," explained Dr. DeNittis. "The Imager's software can also suggest changes to align the patient more precisely with the treatment beam."

The Department of Radiation Oncology also acquired Varian's respiratory-gating system that improves treatment of selected tumors by monitoring the patient's breathing motion and turning the radiation beam on and off when the tumor moves in and out of the treatment field.

"We know that tumors can move-both during a radiation treatment and from one treatment to another-as a result of normal action like breathing or bowel filling," Dr. DeNittis said. "Any change in position could mean the tumor may not receive the full radiation dose, or normal tissues may receive more radiation than they should."

With the respiratory-gating system, patients can receive IMRT to areas such as the lung, pancreas, stomach, rectum and breast. Prior to this technology IMRT was being used primarily for cancers of the prostate and head and neck.

This new technology is the latest development in the evolution of radiation therapy from a diagnostic tool to an integral part of the treatment process, according to Dr. DeNittis.

Prior to the development of image-guided radiation therapy, radiation oncologists had to account for variations in patient positioning and respiratory motion by treating a relatively large margin of healthy tissue around a tumor, increasing the risk of complications and causing them to use lower, less effective doses of radiation.

"With the degree of precision that these systems bring to treatment, we are confident that we are hitting the target tumor and minimizing the effect on nearby healthy tissue," Dr. DeNittis said. "Image-guided radiation therapy is making it possible for more patients to receive advanced treatments with great precision and safety because of a suite of tools that give us effective and efficient management of all patient data."

And through the Main Line Health Community Clinical Oncology Program at Lankenau Hospital, patients continue to have the opportunity to enroll in nationally sponsored clinical trials. The Main Line Health CCOP is ranked third nationally among CCOPs in the number of patients enrolled in radiation therapy oncology group clinical trials.

For more information about Image Guided Raditation Therapy at Lankenau Hospital, CLICK HERE! 

Media Contact:
Frieda Schmidt, Media Relations
610-645-3311
schmidtf@mlhs.org

Published:5-7-2007