Clinac iX
The Clinac iX is an innovative, sophisticated linear accelerator that allows us to provide our patients with today’s most advanced treatments. The Clinac iX allows us to deliver more exacting treatments faster, using image guidance every step of the way. It is customized to support every type of radiotherapy treatment process, from conventional 2D and 3D treatments to the most sophisticated forms of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT.) The Clinac iX incorporates the best technology for generating, shaping, controlling and delivering tightly focused radiation beams, offering a precise detailed alignment of all imaging and treatment delivery components customized for each individual patient.
The Clinac iX offers:
- Exact alignment between imaging and treatment isocenters
- Exact Couch positioning accuracy
- Best-in-industry beam delivery performance
- Dynamic Targeting Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
Our patients can rest assured that they are receiving treatment from a state-of-the-art center equipped with exceptional technology.
OBI (On-Board Imager) & IGRT (Image-Guided Radiation Therapy)
Our Clinax iX linear accelerator is equipped with the new On-Board Imager and gives our doctors the best of two critical technologies for image-guided radiation therapy. It combines two important technologies on one platform—low-dose, high resolution, kilovoltage X-ray imaging and integrated software control of all treatment parameters. This opens the door to improved, rapid treatments that are conducive to patient comfort.
Varian's On-Board Imager is mounted on the treatment machine via robotically controlled arms which operate along three axes of motion, so that they can be positioned optimally for the best possible view of the tumor.
By using the robotic technology and control software to position the On-Board Imager and patient couch, the total system offers the automation, speed, and flexibility needed to make the IGRT process clinically practical for thousands of cancer patients.
Siemen’s SOMATOM Emotion 6-slice CT
Our SOMATOM Emotion CT simultaneously scans several slices of the body thereby reducing significantly the scan time and capturing the smallest details for diagnostic and planning purposes.
External Beam Radiation Therapy
This treatment method delivers high doses of radiation from an external radiation source which specifically targets the affected area and minimizes the dose to the surrounding normal tissue. EBRT uses a linear accelerator to direct radiation to the affected area.
Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
Orlando Cancer Institute features one of the most advanced forms of radiation treatment available delivered by the powerful Varian Clinac IX linear accelerator, providing Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). This complex technique of delivering radiotherapy is a powerful method of precisely delivering conformal doses of radiation to tumor tissue, while simultaneously sparing nearby healthy tissue. To plan and deliver IMRT treatments, our Institute uses the SmartBeam IMRT, a state-of-the-art planning and delivery system designed by Varian Medical Systems.
SmartBeam IMRT uses computer-generated images to plan and then deliver tightly focused radiation beams to cancerous tumors. Clinicians use it to precisely "paint" the tumor with a customized radiation beam that conforms as closely as possible to the shape of the tumor. SmartBeam IMRT can be used to treat tumors that might have been considered untreatable in the past due to close proximity of vital organs and structures. Currently, IMRT is being used to treat cancers of the prostate, head and neck, breast, thyroid and lung, as well as in gynecologic, liver and brain tumors and lymphomas and sarcomas.
Prostate Seed Implants
We also perform internal radiation therapy, also referred to as brachytherapy or seed treatment. Internal radiation therapy allows your doctor to give a higher total dose of radiation to a smaller area often with a single procedure saving time as compared to daily external radiation treatment. It can be used alone or in combination with external beam irradiation.
When your physician recommends a radioactive implant as part of your treatment, it involves many steps and usually the use of an operating room to allow you to have anesthetic so that you will not experience any pain from the placing of the implant. The first step is preplanning your implant which requires taking measurements, mapping and determining the proper number of seeds and their proper strength. The procedure is typically performed in a single day and does not require an overnight stay in the hospital.
The day of the procedure, your radiation oncologist and your surgeon will perform the implant together. While under an anesthetic, your doctors will utilize both ultrasound and fluoroscopy (x-rays) to make certain that the preplan is carried out with accuracy in the placing of your seeds.
The majority of our prostate implants are done with Palladium-103 (Pd-103); we also use Iodine-125 (I-125) for implants. Prostate seed implants are permanent, meaning they are not removed. With a half-life of 17 days, Palladium-103 seeds emit low energy gamma rays and the patient effectively shields most of the radiation emitted. The treatment is given based on which isotope is utilized; for Pd-103 the bulk of the treatment is completed in 34 days and for I-125 in 120 days. You will experience symptoms of irritation during urination but should not have severe pain.
Full-Spectrum Electron Beam Therapy
Electron beams are emitted from the linear accelerator with a relatively low energy (typically 4 to 6 MeV) and penetrate only the outer 2-3 cm of the patient's body. The patient's skin and superficial lymph nodes are treated with electron beam irradiation while the rest of the body is not subjected to any significant amount of radiation.