September 26, 2007
St. John’s Showcases New State-Of-The Art Cancer Treatment Technology
St. John’s Regional Medical Center is pleased to be the first to offer area patients breakthrough technology for delivering image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) for cancer treatment.
St. John’s recently installed a Varian 2ix Linear Accelerator equipped with an On-Board Imager® kV imaging system. The On-Board Imager can track tumor motion in real time and automate patient positioning, enabling clinicians to accurately deliver daily radiation treatments directly to a targeted area with submillimeter accuracy. The On-Board Imager is attached to the Linear Accelerator on a pair of robotic arms that extend out on either side of the patient and generate anatomical images to guide the treatment. Sophisticated image-matching software shows patient anatomy on computer monitors outside the treatment room.
In addition to diagnostic quality imaging, the On-Board Imgaging system is equipped with Cone Beam CT capability. This technology advancement gives the physicians the ability to acquire a CT with the patient on the linear accelerator for image guidance purposes or to evaluate the patient’s response to the treatment.
This new technology allows for greater accuracy and better outcomes. Using the On-Board imaging system spares more normal tissue reducing side-effects. The IGRT treatments make radiotherapy more precise by using daily images of the tumor volume, to make day-to-day adjustments to patients’ positioning for treatment.
St. John’s is currently the only hospital in the region to offer the On-Board Imager with Cone Beam CT technology in cancer care.
**Media will be invited to attend an Open House Friday, September 28 at noon in the Radiation/Oncology lobby at St. John’s. There will be a two-part celebration for the CoC Approval and the launch of our new Linear Accelerator with Image Guidance Technology (tours will be given).