Cancer patient’s anatomy can change within moments, making it a challenge for clinicians to accurately and confidently deliver radiation therapy. By imaging the patient just prior to treatment, verifying that the patient position is correct, and adapting to any anatomical changes immediately before, or even during, treatment, Adaptive Radiation Therapy (ART) can help provide that the right dose is delivered precisely to the target and that healthy tissue is spared. In order to do this, however, it is necessary to have a full complement of advanced imaging and treatment delivery tools.

Oncologists at St. Vincent’s Clinic in Darlington, Australia, have found they prefer a single integrated solution for their imaging – before and during treatment – that provides immediate access to a flexible choice of applications. They recently started treating patients using Siemens ARTISTE™ Solution, a linear accelerator specifically designed for ART. The therapy system offers various tools from 3D megavoltage (MV) cone beam imaging to in-room CT imaging and a new multileaf collimator, 160 MLC™ Multileaf Collimator, enabling clinicians to deliver individual ART according to patient needs. “ARTISTE is certainly unique in its ability to provide MV cone beam imaging with the new 160 leaf MLC,” says Michael Davis, Chief Radiation Therapist at the clinic. “Our radiation oncologists are finding the ability to accurately shield around sensitive organs extremely advantageous, while our planners are finding it much easier to meet critical organ dose constants.”

St Vincent’s is a centre of excellence in the treatment of early prostate cancer with brachytherapy with an experience of over 350 patients treated by permanent radioactive seed implants and almost 800 treated with combined High Dose Rate brachytherapy and reduced dose external beam treatment. According to the clinic, this is the largest number of patients treated this way in any centre in the world. With ARTISTE, the radiation therapists can further augment their performance in the clinical routine. “The image quality obtained using the new OPTIVUE 1000ART detector is excellent, and allows visualization of organs and anatomical areas not previously seen within our facility,” as Davis reports, confirming an important precondition for accurate target localization.