Sweden-based Elekta’s Versa HD system has boosted radiotherapy speed and precision in first patient treatments at Evangelische Kliniken Gelsenkirchen in Germany.
A 72-year-old female patient with metastatic cancer has been treated on 28 October 2013 with the Versa HD system at Evangelische Kliniken. According to Evangelische Kliniken, the Versa HD system has boosted the radiation therapy speed and accuracy.
The clinic found that the Versa HD treatments were faster and more accurate when compared to the treatment on the clinic’s existing linear accelerator with which the patient received her first few fractions.
In addition, the Versa HD system has provided more protection to surrounding healthy organs.
Evangelische Kliniken chief physician Dr Razvan Galalae said: "This was a seven-field, 56-segment IMRT treatment, and what we found was that – in comparison with our other system – Elekta’s Versa HD afforded better dose conformance to the target and enhanced avoidance of critical structures, such as the small bowel, kidneys, rectum and bladder."
Following the initial success, Evangelische Kliniken put 15 additional patients on the Versa HD schedule in the ensuing three weeks to reinforce the impact that the system has had on radiotherapy speed and accuracy.
Versa HD features Agility, Elekta system’s advanced, high-speed beam-shaping multileaf collimator (MLC). Dr Galalae attributes the initial observations to Agility. The system’s High Dose Rate mode is capable of delivering greater beam delivery speed.
Evangelische Kliniken clinicians are expecting even greater gains in beam delivery speed with the system’s High Dose Rate mode.
Dr Galalae said that by the middle of December 2013, Evangelische Kliniken will begin to perform VMAT with Versa HD, then add High Dose Rate mode.
"At that point, we will be able to treat a wide variety of indications – including head-and-neck tumors and prostate cancer – with both high conformality as well as significant increases in delivery speed. Eventually, we will add stereotactic techniques with implanted seeds for lung and prostate cancer," Dr Galalae added.
Image: Elekta’s Versa HD system for radiation therapy. Photo: Courtey of Elekta