Three Novalis Tx radiosurgery platforms ordered by Danish cancer
hospital
30 July 2008
Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) and BrainLAB AG have announced
that one of Scandinavia’s leading cancer centres has ordered three
Novalis Tx radiosurgery platforms which combine the most advanced
technologies from both companies to offer superior non-invasive
radiosurgery for patients.
Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen has ordered two new Novalis Tx
radiosurgery platforms and the associated suite of accessories and will
upgrade an existing BrainLAB Novalis device to the more advanced new
generation Novalis Tx.
All three machines will be equipped with Varian’s RapidArc
radiotherapy technology for image-guided, intensity-modulated
radiotherapy (IMRT) treatments, meaning seven treatment machines at the
hospital will have this new capability. They will also include the
BrainLAB ExacTrac x-ray 6D imaging system and the Varian on-board imager
for precise patient positioning.
Dr Svend Aage Engelholm, chief radiation oncologist of the Department
of Radiation Oncology at Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet),
says, “The two new Novalis Tx platforms will mainly be used for
state-of-the-art lung and prostate cancer treatments while most of the
other extra-cranial stereotactic treatments will take place on the
upgraded device,” he said.
Dr Engelholm added that Rigshospitalet has a long tradition of
carrying out high-precision radiotherapy treatments and is one of the
two leading hospitals in Denmark for stereotactic radiosurgery. The
hospital was the first in Scandinavia to introduce IMRT treatments and
was also the region’s first hospital to offer image-guided radiotherapy
(IGRT) as a routine preferred treatment for a number of cancer
indications.
Novalis Tx offers radiosurgery for a wide range of indications such
as malignant and benign lesions, brain metastases, arteriovascular
malformations, and functional lesions. It features very high dose
delivery rates, which means that treatments can be delivered very
rapidly. Novalis Tx also offers dynamic fine beam shaping and
non-invasive, precise frameless patient positioning for rapid and
comfortable treatments.
Novalis Tx allows multiple beam energies of up to 18 million volts
for treating deep-seated tumours. “The speed coupled with the precise
beam shaping and advanced imaging capabilities make advanced
radiosurgical treatments with Novalis Tx more affordable for hospitals
and their patients,” adds Dow Wilson, head of Varian’s Oncology Systems
business.
The Novalis Tx platform also includes an On-Board Imager device for
pinpointing the tumour and positioning the patient with millimeter
precision. The platform’s ExacTrac room-based image-guidance system
provides continual imaging during treatment to detect movement and
support robotic adjustments in patient positioning in six dimensions.
This enhances protection of surrounding healthy tissues while enabling
clinicians to concentrate higher, more effective doses on tumors.
Jean Hooks, General Manager Oncology Solutions at BrainLAB, adds,
“Novalis Tx offers extensive imaging capabilities with three
complementary imaging systems. These are representative of the power our
partnership with Varian brings to the field of radiosurgery. Novalis Tx
answers strong demand from the clinical community for a fast, versatile,
precise instrument that offers new hope to many cancer patients.”
This latest investment at Rigshospitalet is part of a Denmark-wide
strategy to ensure cancer patients receive their first radiotherapy
treatment within four weeks of diagnosis. According to Dr Engelholm, his
hospital is on course to ensure most patients receive advanced
radiotherapy treatment within two weeks of diagnosis.