The mere two-year-old Oncology Center at Hospital Moinhos de Vento in Porto Alegre (right picture), Brazil, strives to provide state-of-the-art oncology treatment with the aide of its close cooperation with Siemens. A good example of these cutting-edge technologies is Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). The goal of this treatment is to deliver the highest possible amount of radiation while sparing the healthy and critical tissues around it. With these technologies and treatments, combined with a reliable system for planning and quality assurance, the hospital hopes to give itself the chance to compete on a global scale in the healthcare arena.

The Oncology Center is equipped with two Siemens PRIMUS™ Linear Accelerators, where the IMRT treatments are performed. What makes this center different, however, is that unlike most radiation oncology facilities, Moinhos de Vento looks nothing like a dark basement. A unique system of shafts brings daylight right into the underground – a bright improvement not only for the patients, but for the center’s staff as well. Siemens emerged as a vendor for the Oncology Center, thanks to its integrated solutions. The Medical Superintendent at Moinhos de Vento, Flávio Antônio Santo Borges, MD, (left picture) reports, “Siemens enables us to have state-of-the-art equipment, even compared to other top institutions in Latin America.”