December 22, 2008 - Doctors at the Cancer Treatment Services in Casa Grande, AZ, have begun treating cancer patients with reportedly a faster and more precise form of radiotherapy, the RapidArc from Varian.
Ulysses Sharp, 73, a heavy equipment operator and mechanic battling prostate cancer, is among the first patients in Arizona to benefit from the RapidArc radiotherapy technology. RapidArc delivers image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) two to eight times faster than is possible with earlier radiotherapy technologies.
In addition to being more convenient for the patient, faster treatments have the potential to improve the precision of dose delivery by minimizing the effects of tumor motion during treatment. Treatment planning comparisons show that in many cases, RapidArc plans are better than conventional fixed-beam plans at concentrating radiation closely on the tumor and reducing the dose to surrounding tissues and organs, said Varian.
For more information: www.varian.com, www.cancertreatmentservices.com/arizona