Siemens features new methods for pinpointing, treatment tumors
Siemens introduced new solutions in adaptive radiation therapy (ART), which uses diagnostic quality images to adapt treatment delivery based on the actual state of what is happening at and around the tumor site, at the 50th annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) in Boston last week.

As part of its ART portfolio, the company showcased its Oncor linear accelerator with megavoltage cone beam CT-based, 3D image acquisition. Megavoltage cone beam imaging visualizes soft tissue contrast inside the patient, providing additional information for correct patient positioning prior to treatment, according to Lance Longwell, Siemens spokesperson.

Another system on display at ASTRO was the Primatom system, a hybrid configuration consisting of an Oncor linear accelerator and a Somatom CT scanner with sliding gantry, which provides 3D position determination for target volumes and organs at risk via volumetric image comparison. 

Siemens highlighted and demonstrated the capabilities of its Trio robotic table, “which when combined with our Somatom CT and Artiste linear accelerator, we can actually modify the patient’s treatment plan on the spot,” Longwell said.

To properly treat patients at the point-of-care, he explained that physicians can access CT scans within eight minutes, which can then be transferred to the workstations for real-time modifications of the treatment plan. The patient is then transferred with the robotic bed for treatment with the Artiste, “without having to get off the bed.”

“As tumors shrink or move—particularly within the prostate and gastro intestine—we are designing methods to avoid irradiating any healthy tissue,” Longwell said. He also noted that the bed has sag compensation, allowing it to adjust for a patient up to 440 pounds, which avoid “sag or deflection within the table.” 

Hospitals or cancer centers can either place the systems right next to each other, or on opposite ends of the treatment room, Longwell explained.
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