Small linacs help deliver IOeRT in a standard operating theatre
Recent developments featuring miniature linear accelerators to deliver large radiation doses directly to the target have helped make treatment more accurate, faster and more adaptable.
The American Society for Radiation Oncology says that intraoperative electron radiation therapy (IOeRT) can be used in clinical practice for the suitable group of breast cancer patients (low risk) as a single dose, meaning the patient receives an IOeRT treatment dose during breast conservation surgery that eliminates the need for post-operative EBRT.
In addition, after collecting and screening data from 30,000 treated patients, the European Society for Radiation Oncology is issuing new guidelines on the use of IOeRT in breast cancer, sarcomas, pancreatic and rectal cancer.
Distributed exclusively in the UK by Vertec Scientific, the Liac HWL system from Sordina IORT Technologies is light, easy to deploy and fits in hospital patient lifts. The system can be used in any standard operating room without the need for any lateral shielding, allowing a high patient throughput and reducing the cost of installation.
The European Institute of Oncology in Milan has treated 11,000 patients with the units. At Hospital Universitario Marques de Valdecilla in Santander, pioneering treatment of recurrent colorectal cancer combining the Liac HWL and DaVinci robotic surgery was undertaken.
Picture: The Liac system in theatre.
Published on page 4 of the September 2019 issue of RAD Magazine.