In June of this year, WMCC added a new line of defense in the fight against cancer. The center installed a radiation treatment machine called the Edge®.
The Edge® offers patients a fast, effective option for treating cancerous growths including some that are hard to reach. This radiosurgery system uses advanced technology to treat a broad range of tumors. They include those found in the lung, prostate, brain and spine. Mazen Mislmani, MD, division chief of radiation oncology, said that the Edge® improves on previous generation treatment machines. “The arrival of ‘microleaf collimation’ is the reason,” he said. “In simpler terms, it is an important tool that helps us achieve more precise dose ‘sculpting’, particularly for very small tumors. This allows a sharper dose fall off and more sparing of surrounding healthy tissue,” he added.
Radiosurgery treatments on the Edge® are usually completed within the same week, taking only 1 to 5 sessions. “Treatment sessions are typically scheduled in 30 minute appointments,” said Brittany Dominick, BS RT(T), radiation therapy manager. “Patients often comment that their drive to WMCC is longer than the actual treatment.”
With the Edge®, a wide range of tumors that are typically hard to reach with traditional methods can be targeted and treated with precision. Renu Sharma, MS, director of medical physics, says the Edge® system works by rotating around the tumor from many different angles to deliver the prescribed radiation dose to obliterate cancer cells. “The patient is treated on a six degrees (6D) of freedom treatment couch which provides the precision and flexibility to position the tumor for treatment,” she said.
The Edge® joins the TrueBeam in the WMCC arsenal of radiation treatment machines, also known as linear accelerators. Both safely deliver a precise dose quickly while causing minimal damage to surrounding normal cells and tissue.
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