NZ Centre Gets ‘Next Generation’ Arc Radiation

New Zealand Centre Gets ‘Next Generation’ Arc Radiation Therapy

More patients to benefit from faster cancer treatments and greater precision for same cost

Hundreds of prostate cancer patients per year will benefit from faster, more precise, ‘next generation’ radiation therapy that’s just become available in New Zealand for the first time.

New Zealand’s first private radiation therapy centre, Auckland Radiation Oncology (ARO), has installed the Elekta VMAT (Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy) technique – the first of its kind in New Zealand.

With the new VMAT technique, single or multiple dose radiation beams sweep in uninterrupted arc(s) around the patient, dramatically speeding treatment delivery from an average seven minutes for ‘conventional’ radiation therapy to as fast as two minutes.

Three-dimensional volume imaging technology integrated into the treatment systems increases the precision of the technique. Clinicians are able to visualize the tumour target at the time of treatment and guide therapy that both maximizes the radiation dose to the target and minimizes exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.

“VMAT really is the next generation in radiation therapy. It offers faster treatment, greater precision and therefore better outcomes for patients. We will be able to offer the service to more patients at the same cost as standard radiotherapy treatments,” comments ARO chairman Dr Andrew Wong.

ARO chief physicist, Dr John Simpson says the treatment can be applied to many treatment sites and it is particularly suitable for areas that are prone to internal motion such as the prostate.

“VMAT is a major step forward. By being able to adjust the arcs and the speed of radiation delivery, you can deliver exactly the dose you want, where you want it and for as long as you want it, reducing the chance of the organ motion and avoidance of vulnerable structures,” says Dr Simpson.

ARO is a joint venture between MercyAscot and Southern Cross Hospitals. The centre provides a private treatment option for cancer patients requiring radiation therapy, and complements the existing public system.

Dr Wong says demand for treatment at ARO has been steadily growing since it opened in October 2008. ARO is currently adding a third radiation bunker which will be operational in October 2010.

He says the additional bunker and VMAT technique will enable ARO to treat more patients per year as well as deliver additional new, leading edge technologies into the New Zealand market.

To find more information go to www.aro.co.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media