Oncology
Konstantin Gaievskiy, Head representative of Тoshiba Мedical Systems Europe B.V.; Tetyana Shcheglovskaya, Head of RT Department; Carlos Sandin, Clinical Solutions Sales Support Manager, Elekta; Dmitro S. Mechev, Head of Radiology Department, National Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education of Ukraine.
The Rinat Akhmetov (Development of Ukraine) Foundation took bold strides in 2011 to advance patient care by acquiring a comprehensive range of cancer management technology to equip the radiotherapy department at Rivne Regional Oncologic Dispensary in Ukraine. The Foundation chose Elekta to supply a comprehensive radiotherapy treatment solution, which includes an advanced digital treatment system, oncology information system and treatment planning systems.
“The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation needed to address a critical shortage of modern cancer treatment technology in eight provinces in Western Ukraine,” says Tetyana, Shcheglovskaya M.D., Head of the Radiotherapy Department at Rivne Regional Oncologic Dispensary. “For the Rivne center, it considered a combination of factors, including technical sophistication, price and company reputation among several tenders, ultimately selecting Elekta to provide this equipment.”
With its significantly strengthened cancer management capacity, the 240-bed Rivne clinic will serve as a magnet for patient care in a wide region, encompassing the cities of Lutsk, Ternopl and Zhitomyr. In addition, Rivne Regional Oncologic Dispensary will serve patients in Chernobyl, approximately 175 miles to the east. Chernobyl is the site of the 1986 nuclear power plant accident.
In its first three months, Rivne Regional Oncologic Dispensary has increased its daily radiotherapy patient volume to more than 50 and has enjoyed some early clinical successes.
“The results have been very good,” Dr. Shcheglovskaya reports. “For example, tumor shrinkage has been more than 90 percent in clinical cases involving tumor of the maxillary sinus. We have been able to treat a wide range of patient ages, including individuals with retinoblastoma.”
Opened in August 2011, Rivne Regional Oncologic Dispensary’s radiation therapy department treats 50 patients per day
Approval of indications may vary between different countries. Additional regulatory clearances may be required in some markets. Photos courtesy of Rivne Regional Oncologic Dispensary.
U.K. medical center acquires two Elekta Synergy treatment systems, MOSAIQ oncology information system and IGRT workspace
The radiation oncology department at internationally renowned Addenbrooke’s Hospital (Cambridge, U.K.) is upgrading its radiotherapy capabilities with Elekta therapy systems, oncology information system (OIS) and image guided workspace. The two Elekta Synergy® image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) systems replace one Siemens linear accelerator and one Varian linear accelerator that had been in service for more than 10 years at the medical center, which is run by the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Officials at Addenbrooke’s have been eager to more fully exploit techniques and technologies that modern treatment machines provide, according to Simon Thomas, Ph.D., head of radiotherapy physics at Addenbrooke’s. Currently, the hospital treats between 200 and 250 patients each day on seven machines.
“The two capabilities we wanted on the machines were IGRT and VMAT,” he says. “IGRT provides images of the target and nearby critical structures we want to avoid – with the patient in the treatment position before therapy. With VMAT, single or multiple radiation beams sweep in uninterrupted arcs around the patient, significantly reducing treatment times.”
Acquiring additional IGRT- and VMAT-capable treatment machines will enable Addenbrooke’s clinicians to offer these imaging and therapy techniques to more patients, Dr. Thomas adds.
Addenbrooke’s Hospital asked Elekta and three other providers to submit proposals and give presentations on their equipment to replace the outgoing linear accelerators. “We compared each company against our clinical and financial requirements and developed an overall score,” Dr. Thomas says. “Elekta’s overall score came out highest, and we combined that with the positive opinions we gathered from other Elekta users in the U.K., and decided to go with Elekta’s offerings.”
Read more at: http://www.elekta.com/healthcare_international_press_release_20071324.php.
Oncology data analysis software to improve business and clinical operations
With ANALYTIQ Premier, centers can maximally exploit the rich volume of oncology EMR data created daily to enhance operations and uncover revenue opportunities. Captured data is segmented into three major analysis categories: practice management, clinical and financial. A Core function enables creation of visually informative, multi-dimensional data cubes that can facilitate decision-making—such as center expansion, advancement of cancer research and patient care improvements.
A key benefit of ANALYTIQ Premier is data presentation. ANALYTIQ organizes practice management data, financial and clinical data into straightforward color charts, graphs, graphics and worksheets for easy exploration and analysis. Real-time visualization enables quick discovery of data trends, relationships, and anomalies.
Learn more: http://www.elekta.com/healthcare_international_analytiq_premier.php.
Setting the pace in the United Kingdom for lung SBRT treatments, clinicians at the St. James’s University Hospital are becoming increasingly adept in managing respiratory motion and accurately targeting mobile lung tumors, a difficult task before the introduction of advanced technology. For many of the more than 200 patients treated, St. James’s doctors have used Elekta’s Symmetry™ solution, 4D image guidance technology that enables clear visualization of moving targets.
“For certain patients with lung tumors that move a large amount during breathing, Symmetry 4D cone beam CT [CBCT] has been incredibly useful,” says John Lilley, physicist at St. James’s, part of The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
“The standard 3D volume imaging system (3D CBCT) on our Elekta Synergy® treatment machine is great for imaging targets that remain still, but moving objects – become blurred,” he explains. “However, by taking the 4D CT planning scan – which shows the ‘envelope’ of space within which the tumor is moving – and matching that to 4D Symmetry reconstructions, which show the tumor’s position during the breathing cycle, we can more easily localize moving tumors.”
Read more at: http://www.elekta.com/healthcare_international_press_release_20071319.php
Approval of indications may vary between different countries. Additional regulatory clearances may be required in some markets.
Intended for radiation oncologists, medical physicists, dosimetrists and nurses interested in VMAT and IGRT training, this one and a half day course is December 5-6 at Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle, Washington.
The program includes topics such as defining target volumes; clinical implementation; billing issues; quality assurance; various tumor application: thoracic, head and neck, prostate, abdominal, and breast; hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy protocols; and patient education.
In addition to the didactic sessions, the course includes a demonstration in real time of CBCT technology. Each participant will receive a manual which will provide additional information for each member of your cancer care team and a CD of PowerPoint presentations.
Upon completion, participants will be able to address:
- Target volumes for IGRT
- Billing
- Coding and reimbursement issues
- Practical aspects of setting up an image-guided radiotherapy program
- The role of IGRT in the treatment of various tumor types
- Research results
To register and view the agenda, visit: http://www.elekta.com/events_detail.php?id=1093
Why should Elekta feature your clinic in the February 2012 issue of Wavelength?
More attention and resources are flowing into cancer management clinics than ever before, improving survival and the overall patient experience. We hear about it from time to time – not only from clinics that are effectively harnessing our technology to help patients, but also from centers that have invested a lot of time, creativity and money into transforming the “cancer ward” into an environment where optimism lives, a home away from home, a place of hope.
It’s time we recognized and highlighted your efforts. Wavelength is the best place to show your fellow cancer care professionals what you did to make your clinic stand out, and to give them inspiration about what they can do to make their clinic a special place for patients.
Tell us what makes your center unique. Write a brief description of what you did to improve your facilities or services. Photographs (high-resolution jpegs) are welcomed and encouraged if they help tell the story. Include your name, clinic or hospital name and email address and send to media@elekta.com. Here are some examples to get you thinking:
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Artwork (especially patient artwork)
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Architecture
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Meditation rooms
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High tech
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Celebrity visits
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Cancer survivor events
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Patient awards
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General patient comfort
Read more about the challenge in the August 2011 issue of Wavelength, Elekta’s customer magazine: www.elekta.com/wavelength.
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Elekta has 2,760 employees working at 35 offices in 24 countries.
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Elekta has the largest installed base of stereotactic radiosurgery systems in the world, including more than 440 Leksell Gamma Knife® systems and over 120 systems for stereotactic radiation therapy. In addition, more than 1,800 of Elekta’s stereotactic systems are used by over 1,300 clinics worldwide.
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Every year, more than half a million patients receive treatment with radiation therapy equipment from Elekta.
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More than 100,000 patients receive diagnosis, treatment or follow-up facilitated by software systems from Elekta.
Additional facts are available in Elekta’s 2010/11 Annual Report. Take a look by clicking on the below graphic.
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