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Cone Beam
Computed Tomography

By Beth W. Orenstein 
       Cancer patients in Northeast Pennsylvania don’t have to travel far to find the latest, most advanced technology in radiation therapy. 
       At the beginning of August, Radiation Medicine Specialists of Northeast Pennsylvania in Forty Fort upgraded its Siemens linear accelerator with equipment that creates three-dimensional images of the tumor sites. Having such images available during treatment, enables the radiation oncologist to deliver more cancer-killing radiation to the sites and less to surrounding healthy tissue, says Norman Schulman, M.D., medical director. 
     Until now, Schulman says, he had to use markers drawn on the patient to locate the tumor during treatment. But it’s likely the patient would move even slightly from one day’s treatment to the next – even breathing can cause a difference in positioning. To be sure all the cancer was treated, he would have to treat a small amount of healthy tissue around the tumor. 
     With Siemens advanced imaging technology, called Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT,) the system locates the tumor before each dose of radiation is administered. Because it is more precise, the oncologist can deliver more radiation to the tumor site and less to surrounding tissue, Schulman says. 
      Schulman says that because the adjustment in patient positioning is done remotely, the setup and treatment time is shorter than with conventional equipment.
      Radiation oncologists at RMS will use the cone beam to treat several types of cancer, including breast, prostate, lung, colon and rectal, and head and neck. It should be operational early this month, he says.
       Radiation Medicine Specialists is the second in the state and the ninth in the country to offer the cone beam technology for improved accuracy.

Clinical Versatility

MVision provides the 3D soft-tissue contrast necessary for many disease sites, allowing clinicians to "see inside" the patient at the time of treatment.

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