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OUR TECHNOLOGY

Caribbean Radiation Oncology Center features the latest TomoTherapy Hi-Art Treatment System from Accuray, the TomoTherapy HDA unit, one of the most integrated, advanced systems for comprehensive cancer treatment. TomoTherapy is a fully integrated system comprised of a linear accelerator (equipment that produces radiation) and a helical megavoltage computer tomogram (MVCT) scan for daily imaging. The system differs from other radiation therapy systems in the way it calculates the dose, how it identifies the tumor, and how it delivers the radiation.

TomoTherapy® combines an advanced form of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), with the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) scanning technology, all in one machine.

The TomoTherapy System vs. Conventional Linacs

  • The TomoTherapy treatment planning system is designed to recognize that different tissues have different densities (tissue heterogeneity correction). For example, blood is not equal in density to muscle, to fat, to bone or to air, etc.

 

  • The MVCT scan ensures a significantly lower radiation exposure during the daily CT scan, while the helical or spiral image collection results in a higher quality image.

 

  • Daily imaging (image guided radiation or IGRT) provides daily confirmation that the tumor is being treated correctly

 

  • The treatment table perfectly emulates the patient’s weight related inferior displacement of the CT scan table use for the collection of the treatment planning images (the patient’s weight will displace the table inferiorly as the table moves away from the base)

 

  • Helical or static delivery results in thousands of small fields (over 10,000 small fields per rotation)

 

  • Adaptive radiation therapy means that the patient is given the best chance for a cure with the least complication possible. If the tumor grows or shrinks fast or the patient losses too much weight, treatment can be easily modified to keep a low toxicity profile and increase cure rate.

 

  • The fully integrated system means that every treatment is delivered using the highest standard possible. TomoTherapy does not allow corrupted plans to be executed.

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