Technologies

VitalBeam System

Memorial Medical Cancer Center has commenced treating cancer patients using the VitalBeam™ radiotherapy system from Varian Medical Systems, bringing even more advanced image-guided tumor-targeting capabilities close to home.

VitalBeam delivers powerful cancer treatments with pinpoint accuracy and precision. It uniquely integrates imaging and treatment technologies within a sophisticated architecture that makes it possible to deliver image-guided treatments very quickly, opening the door to new possibilities for the treatment of lung, breast, prostate, head/neck, as well as other cancers that are treatable with radiotherapy.

The VitalBeam radiotherapy system offers physicians a broad spectrum of treatment options for challenging cases such as cancers of the head/neck, breast, prostate, lung, liver and pancreas. Its integrated imaging tools enable the treatment team to pinpoint the tumor they are going to treat, monitor its position during treatment and make adjustments for greater accuracy.

In RapidArc® mode—one of the treatment modalities enabled by the VitalBeam system—simple treatments that once took 15 minutes or more can be completed in less than two once the patient is in position. “These are significant reductions in treatment time,” said Radiation Oncologist Dr. Jason Call. “Many patients will spend a whole lot less time lying still, immobilized on a hard surface. That’s yet another benefit of this wonderful system.”

A VitalBeam system can deliver dose with tremendous precision. Its accuracy is made possible by a sophisticated architecture that synchronizes imaging, patient positioning, beam shaping and dose delivery, performing accuracy checks every ten milliseconds throughout a treatment.

VitalBeam can be used for radiotherapy treatments including image-guided radiotherapy and radiosurgery (IGRT and IGRS), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and RapidArc® radiotherapy.

The Edge Radiosurgery System

How It Works

The Edge® radiosurgery system opens the door for a non-invasive alternative to conventional surgery. With an eye toward improving treatment ease and convenience, patients can expect a more comfortable experience because the procedure is non-invasive with no incision needed. Normally an outpatient procedure, Edge treatments are typically completed within the same week taking only 1 – 5 sessions. Each session lasts less than an hour, which helps patients to quickly get in and out of treatment, reducing hospital stays and allowing them to resume their lives.

With the Edge radiosurgery system, a wide range of tumors that are typically difficult to reach with traditional surgery can be targeted and treated with power and precision. The Edge system works by delivering large, targeted doses of radiation to obliterate cancer cells. To accurately deliver the recommended amount of radiation, the beam treats each part of the tumor from many different angles. Using precise beam sculpting and a real-time tracking system, clinicians are able to deliver high radiation doses to destroy the tumor while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.

The Edge Difference

The Edge® radiosurgery system from Varian Medical Systems offers a new line of defense in the fight against cancer. Using advanced cancer treatment technology, the Edge® system offers patients a fast, effective surgical option for treating tumors without incisions or the need for overnight hospital stays. It may be used to treat tumors found in the lung, prostate, brain, spine and other indications throughout the body. The Edge radiosurgery system uses a real-time tumor tracking system so clinicians can detect slight tumor movement, thus potentially minimizing the radiation dose to surrounding healthy tissue.

Why Choose the Edge Radiosurgery System

• • • Edge’s knife-like beam provides surgeons with the agility to treat tumors that are typically difficult to reach surgically.
    • Edge protects surrounding healthy tissue by using advanced motion management techniques that help detect even slight tumor movement.
    • Edge patients are able to continue with their daily lives because treatment sessions typically last less than an hour and require neither hospital stays nor incisions.

*Edge radiosurgery is not appropriate for all cancers. Serious side effects, including fatigue and skin irritation, can occur. Treatment times may vary. Ask your doctor if the Edge treatment system is right for you.

Other technologies we offer:

• • • Advanced breast imaging (ABUS)
    • Breast MRI
    • Breast tomosynthesis
    • Contract physicists
    • CT scan
    • Full field digital mammography
    • IMRT
    • Molecular profiling - Basic
    • PET scans
    • SRS/SBRT
    • Surgical robotics