Beacon Hospital installed the TrueBeam® 2.7 radiotherapy system in September 2019, the advanced radiotherapy technology from Varian Medical Systems. TrueBeam® 2.7 is a new generation of a linear accelerator that can deliver much faster and accurate radiation dose compared to conventional radiotherapy system, TrueBeam® 2.7 rotates around the patient to deliver specifically targeted beams of radiation with pinpoint accuracy. TrueBeam® 2.7 can be used to treat a diverse range of cancers, including tumours of the lung, breast, head and neck, abdomen, liver, and other regions.
Truebeam® 2.7 Radiotherapy
TrueBeam® 2.7 radiotherapy technology improves on previous radiotherapy systems in the following ways:
Fast
Treatments that once took 10 to 30 minutes can now be completed in several minutes. With fast treatment, there is less chance of tumour and patient movement.
Real-time tracking
The advanced architecture integrates imaging, real-time tracking, respiratory gating, and treatment delivery. This makes the delivery of treatments quickly and accurately while monitoring and adjusting for tumour movement. This is to ensure that radiation is delivered only when the tumour is in the right place.
Precise Treatment
- Advanced real-time imaging technique enables clinicians to monitor the tumour they treat in 3D & 4D, and target tumours with submillimeter accuracy. These images will be used to fine-tune a patient’s position prior to and during the treatment process.
- It can rotate around the patient to deliver a prescribed radiation dose from nearly any angle.
Reduces unwanted radiation dose
- Its precision is measured in increments of less than a millimeter. The system performs accuracy checks every 10 milliseconds. This helps the radiation oncologist to deliver radiation beam precisely to tumours. Thus, avoiding critical organs and healthy tissue surrounding the tumour and minimizing side effects.
- The system generates images 60 percent faster than older technology, an enhancement that allows the reduction of X-ray dose to the patient by 25 percent.
Improves Safety and Comfort
- Laser Guard II is an integrated patient and equipment collision detection system. The system uses and infra-red laser scanning device that continuously monitors the contoured region between the collimator face and the patient. If an object enters the protection zone, the Laser Guard II stops or inhibits motions prior to a potential collision. This is particularly useful when performing remote gantry or couch rotation
- The patient can feel more comfortable and relax, listen to their favourite music while being treated.
TrueBeam® 2.7 can provide multiple treatment options:
Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT)
Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) uses linear accelerators to safely deliver precise radiation to a tumour while minimizing the dose to surrounding normal tissue.
RapidArc® Radiotherapy
RapidArc® Radiotherapy Technology is an advanced form of Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) that delivers a precisely sculpted 3D dose distribution with a 360-degree rotation of the gantry in a single or multi-arc treatment.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a non-surgical radiation therapy used to treat functional abnormalities and small tumours of the brain. It can deliver precisely-targeted radiation in fewer high-dose treatments than traditional therapy, which can help preserve healthy tissue.
Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT/SRT)
Stereotactic radiotherapy (SBRT / SRT) gives radiotherapy from many different angles around the body. The beams meet at the tumour, this means the tumour receives a high dose of radiation and the tissues around it receive a much lower dose. This lowers the risk of side effects. Stereotactic radiotherapy (SBRT/SRT) is mainly used to treat smaller size tumour in lung, liver, lymph nodes, spinal cord, and brain.
Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT)
Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) is the use of imaging during radiation therapy to improve the precision and accuracy of treatment delivery. Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) is used to treat tumours in areas of the body that move, such as the lungs. Radiation therapy machines are equipped with imaging technology to allow the doctor to image the tumour before and during treatment. By comparing these images to the reference images taken during simulation, the patient’s position is realigned, so the radiation beams are adjusted to be more precise targeting the tumour.
HyperArc™ High-Definition Radiotherapy
HyperArc™ high-definition radiotherapy represents a significant step forward for high-quality Linac-based radiosurgery, with an easy delivery of non-coplanar stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatments. HyperArc™ could irradiate multiple tumours at the same time without repositioning the patient, which provides better management of patient motions while saving time for the patient and the clinical team. HyperArc™ ensures the planners achieve extremely compact dose distributions consistently and efficiently while maintaining patient safety.
Preparations for the Radiotherapy Treatment
Imaging scans may be taken in preparation for planning the treatment. Most cases require a treatment preparation session. Special molded devices that help the patient maintain the same position every day are developed at this point. Special marking or tattoo may be put in place to help align the patient’s position on a daily basis.
Following these scans, the treatment planning process can take several days depending on the complexity of the case. The Oncologist delineates the tumour volume and the medical physicist works to produce the best-fitted plan. The Oncologist then verifies and approves the best plan.
The first TrueBeam® treatment session may sometimes be longer than subsequent sessions as additional images are acquired to check the positioning of the tumour on the day of the treatment. A typical TrueBeam® treatment session could last several minutes. This largely depends on the complexity of the tumour site as well as the condition of the patients.
The radiation therapist can use the machine’s imaging capabilities to position the patient for a treatment that is accurate to less than a millimeter (known as sub-millimeter accuracy). These high-resolution X-rays verifies that the correct site is being treated with utmost accuracy.
The radiation therapist then leaves the treatment room before the radiation beam is turned on. The machine rotates around the patient to deliver the radiation beams as planned. The radiation beam is shaped with high accuracy utilizing the MLC (multi-leaf collimators) attached to TrueBeam® 2.7.
You can go home soon after receiving radiotherapy treatment and resume your daily activities. You would need follow-up care with the doctor during the entire course of treatment to ensure you are coping well with treatment and any side effects (if any). The nurse would arrange for follow-up appointments so that the doctor is able to monitor the patient’s progress and response to the treatment. During these checkups, the doctor will assess how well the radiation therapy worked, and check for signs of treatment side effects. You are required to be more aware of your body and how you feel each day. Pay attention to changes in your body, especially the site of treatment and highlight to the radiographer before your treatment session or to your oncologist during your weekly review.
To assist patients who are facing financial challenges, Beacon Hospital has started a Radiotherapy Welfare Fund to reduce the financial burden of Radiotherapy treatment. To apply for this Radiotherapy Welfare Fund, patients can enquire at Beacon Hospital for further information. Interested applicants may apply by seeking advice from our CSR officer via phone call to +6011-1090 6588 or email to csr@beaconhospital.com.my
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is TrueBeam® 2.7?
TrueBeam® 2.7 is an advanced radiation therapy system that delivers concentrated beams of radiation to tumours in the body. Each TrueBeam® 2.7 treatment consists of a beam of radiation (or collection of beams) generated by a linear accelerator from inside the TrueBeam® 2.7 system.
TrueBeam® 2.7 allows pinpoint positioning and CT imaging through advanced imaging technology. The treatment beam can be targeted to a tumour from multiple angles to strike the target in a complete three-dimensional way. The goal is to deliver the lowest possible dose to the surrounding healthy tissue, while still releasing the maximum dose to the tumour.
This version of TrueBeam® 2.7 offers the latest patented technology by Varian known as HyperArc® – High Definition Radiotherapy, able to offer high-quality linac based radiosurgery treatment.
HyperArc® could irradiate multiple tumours at the same time without repositioning the patient, which provides better management of patient motions while saving time for the patient and the clinical team.
2. How long is a course of radiotherapy on the TrueBeam® 2.7 system?
The delivery of a patient’s treatment varies depending on the diagnosis and the site of treatment. Your attending physician will be able to give the detail information on the course of your treatment protocol. Generally, radiotherapy treatment is given 5 times a week and the total length of treatment will be according to your prescribed treatment protocol.
3. Is a TrueBeam® 2.7 treatment expensive?
The exact cost of radiation therapy will depend on the type and number of treatments a patient need.
4. Can TrueBeam® 2.7 treat all types of cancer?
Due to its accuracy, the TrueBeam® 2.7 system can be used to treat majority forms of tumours, including those located in sensitive areas. For example, lung, liver, lymph nodes, spinal cord, breast, head, neck, abdomen and brain.
5. Are there any side effects of TrueBeam® 2.7 treatment?
Radiotherapy, although not painful, can cause uncomfortable side effects. However, with the advancement of the TrueBeam® 2.7 system, these side effects can be minimized. Talk to your doctor about what to expect from your treatment and find out more about your treatment protocol.
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