Life Sciences Scotland news

The advanced system, called RapidArc, was installed on two of the existing medical linear accelerators a month ago and is now being used on patients. The system delivers precise image-guided IMRT treatments up to four times faster than conventional IMRT. It makes treatments a more comfortable experience for patients as the faster delivery reduces the chance and extent of patient motion during treatment enabling more precise dose distribution while helping to protect nearby healthy tissue and vital organs. The side-effects which patients often experience are also significantly diminished and tumour control is potentially increased. David Dodds, Clinical Lead for Radiotherapy said: "This is a significant advance for one of the busiest cancer centres in the country and provides an opportunity to offer advanced IMRT treatments to more patients. "In the past, the provision for IMRT has been limited as the technique takes longer to deliver. RapidArc will allow us to treat much more quickly and as a result more patients will be able to benefit from the technology. These treatments are currently only being used for head and neck cancer patients but we expect this to be extended to include other cancers such as prostate and brain in the months ahead." Garry Currie, Head of Radiotherapy Physics, added, "RapidArc was installed on two of the department's linear accelerators only a matter of weeks ago but has been rapidly commissioned to allow the benefits of this technology to be made available as quickly as possible to patients with head and neck cancer in the first instance. "The Beatson was the first radiotherapy centre in Scotland to introduce IMRT and we have been seeking new methods to allow more patients to receive the benefits of this highly conformal technology. "Previously, patient treatments would have required up to nine different positions of the treatment machine to be set in sequence. Now, instead of this stop and start approach, with RapidArc, such treatments will take place in continuous rotations of the machine, taking just over two minutes." For further information contact NHSGGC Press Office T: 0141 201 4429.