State-first technology could reduce radiation treatments by up to 86
29 Oct 2021
The MR-Linac technology, which is the first of its kind in Western Australia, allows radiation oncologists to visualise cancerous tissue during treatment, combining MRI diagnostics with highly targeted radiation therapy.
The MR-Linac brings a multitude of benefits including:
- Accurate targeting – Real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows the MR-Linac to show the exact position and shape of the tumour during treatment, so it can target the tumour more precisely
- Greater control and precision - With the Elekta Unity if a tumour moves slightly, treatment will pause until it comes back into position
- Likely reduced side effects – accuracy of the technology means the radiation beam is less likely to damage healthy tissue than conventional radiation therapy. Side effects occur when healthy tissue is damaged.
- Fewer treatments – with conventional radiotherapy, the average number of treatments is 37, but with the MR-Linac, this can potentially decrease to just five treatments.
The MR-Linac is a promising treatment for tumours that are located near major organs where it is important to limit damaging healthy tissue or in organs that are susceptible to moving around frequently.
It is a suitable treatment for many cancers including cancer of the lung, liver, pancreas and prostate as it is highly accurate in targeting small tumours.
Patients who meet requirements to receive both MRI scanning and radiation therapy can receive this treatment.
The new radiation oncology facility is the result of a partnership between Centuria Healthcare, Genesis Care and St John of God Murdoch Hospital and is due to open its doors at the end of 2021.
The facility will have the capacity to treat 1000 cancer patient each year, offering an array of ground-breaking technologies, including the state-first MR-Linac machine.
