Cancer experts have reported future trends and progress in radiotherapy treatments for lung cancer using motion management and tumor-tracking technologies from Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR). Speakers at Varian’s Emerging Technologies Symposium at the annual ESTRO conference detailed experiences of stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) treatments using Varian’s TrueBeamT medical linear accelerator and Calypso@ ‘GPS for the Body’ tumor-tracking technology.
Professor Suresh Senan, radiation oncologist at VU University Medical Center (VUMC) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, presented a systematic review into published outcomes of lung SABR treatments for central lung tumors at multiple cancer centers globally. “This systematic review shows that SABR achieves high local control with limited side effects, even for central lung tumors,” he said.
Prof. Senan also provided details of treatments at VUMC, where more than 1200 stage 1 lung tumor patients have been treated in the last ten years using SABR. The clinic, which receives referrals from more than 70 Dutch hospitals, treats patients on eight Varian linear accelerators, including four TrueBeam devices. Since 2008, all lung SABR treatments at VUMC have been delivered using Varian’s RapidArc@ technology, many on the TrueBeam system. According to Professor Senan, the main benefit of RapidArc for lung patients is the shorter treatment time with less risk of motion.
“This is especially important for SABR, where high doses are delivered over fewer treatment sessions,” he says. “With the introduction of TrueBeam technology, the integration between imaging and treatment delivery has been improved. Furthermore, delivery of the highest SABR doses using the High Intensity Mode for lung tumors has reduced treatment delivery times to less than four minutes.” Dr. Parag Parikh, assistant professor of radiation oncology at Washington University in St. Louis, U.S., detailed the results of an ongoing clinical trial using Calypso Anchored Beacon@ transponders in lung cancer patients. The trial is primarily intended to evaluate tumor localization with the Calypso system for patients with implanted anchored transponders and to assess the positional stability of the transponders throughout the treatment process. “The data we have gathered so far shows that the implantation is safe and that there is very little migration of the markers,” said Dr. Parikh.
The Varian symposium was chaired by Dr. Marta Scorsetti, director of radiotherapy and radiosurgery at the Humanitas Cancer Center in Milan, Italy, where more than 300 lung cancer patients have been treated using a TrueBeam treatment machine since its installation in July 2010.
The symposium commenced with Professor Philippe Lambin, head of radiation oncology at the MAASTRO Clinic in Maastricht, the Netherlands, outlining the need for software-based ‘Decision Support Systems’ (DSS) to allow individualized treatments.
Such systems, he said, are particularly valuable because of the huge volume of information that the modern clinician needs to assess. “With the help of DSS, doctors are able to more objectively select the best individualized treatment,” said Prof. Lambin. “By utilizing a system which not only integrates all diagnostic information and therapeutic options but also takes into account the wishes of the patient, it’s easier for medical professionals to propose tailor-made treatment plans to patients.” About Varian Medical Systems Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California, is the world’s leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiotherapy, radiosurgery, a Varian Oncology and brachytherapy.
The company supplies informatics software for managing comprehensive cancer clinics, radiotherapy centers and medical oncology practices.
Varian is a premier supplier of tubes and digital detectors for X-ray imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications and also supplies high-energy X-ray devices for cargo screening and non-destructive testing applications. Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 6,000 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America, Europe, and China and approximately 70 sales and support offices around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com or follow us on Twitter.
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