Treatment Procedures
How Does Radiotherapy Work?
Developed by Varian Medical Systems, the world leader in radiotherapy oncology solutions, TrueBeam uses high-energy X-rays (photons), or in some cases, streams of electrons, to destroy cancer cells. When you undergo a TrueBeam treatment, a precisely-shaped beam hits the cancerous cells. Their ability to reproduce is compromised and they eventually die, causing the tumor to shrink.
In the U.S., two out of three people with cancer undergo some form of radiotherapy as part of their treatment, according to the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). The fact that radiotherapy has been used as a part of cancer treatment regimens for many years speaks its effectiveness at fighting cancer.
Advantages of TrueBeam Treatment
- Noninvasive. There is no incision or surgery with TrueBeam and no post-surgery recovery period.
- Fast. The ability to deliver higher doses of radiation at great speed allows most treatments to be given in just minutes a day.
- Precise. TrueBeam uses a highly sophisticated imaging system that allows doctors to “see” the tumor they’re treating in real time and target it with pinpoint precision. Even tumors that move when you breathe — those in the lungs, for example — can be precisely targeted thanks to special tools that compensate for motion during a treatment.
- Individualized. Every tumor is different, and TrueBeam can shape the radiation beam to accurately match the size and form of most tumors regardless of their shape. It uses a device called a multileaf collimator that shapes the treatment beam precisely to match the shape of the tumor from any given treatment angle, minimizing exposure of the surrounding healthy tissue.
- Comfortable. A closed-circuit television system enables your radiation therapist to watch you during treatment, and two-way audio lets you talk with the therapist. TrueBeam runs so quietly, you can even listen to music during treatment to help you relax.
Truebeam Can Deliver Many Advanced Types of Radiotherapy
- Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT): Uses advanced imaging that allows the clinical team to visualize and verify the exact position of your tumor both prior to and during your treatment.
- Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT): A technique in which doctors vary (or modulate) the amount of radiation that is sent to different parts of your tumor while shaping the beam to match the shape, size, and position of the targeted tumor.
- Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) & Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT): A fast treatment protocol that omits more powerful beams to treat tumors in the brain over only 1-5 sessions. SBRT is a technique that’s similar to SRS, used to treat tumors elsewhere in the body.
- Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) i.e., RapidArc® radiotherapy: Enables treatments that once took 10-30 minutes to be delivered in less than two minutes.
- Gated treatment, including Gated RapidArc: Monitors your breathing and turns the beam on only when your tumor is in the optimal position for treatment.