MR Linac – Integrated Linear Accelerator: Did You Know?
Radiation therapy (radiotherapy) using an MRI-guided linear acceleratorץ
The Radiotherapy Institute of Assuta Ramat HaHayal Hospital is one of the only institutes in the world that offers its patients radiation therapy using an MRI-guided linear accelerator. The MR Linac system presents a therapeutic breakthrough for cancer patients, especially for patients suffering from tumors in the abdominal and pelvic cavity, including pancreatic, liver, prostate and lung cancer. The new linear accelerator gives hope to many cancer patients, shortens the treatment duration for others, and in some cases, radiation therapy will even be an alternative to surgery.
Assuta's Accelerator Team
MR Linac – a linear accelerator that combines MRI imaging with radiation therapy, so that you can see the movement of the organs in real time and the irradiation is stopped and resumed automatically according to the movement of the tumor outside the irradiation range.
Two Varian TrueBeam accelerators – the most advanced linear accelerator in the worldץ
About the new accelerator
MR Linac, developed by ViewRay, Inc., is an MRI-guided accelerator considered unique and leading in the field of oncological treatment for cancer patients. The integrated accelerator makes it possible to perform MRI guidance during the radiation process, thus enabling more efficient and precise treatment.
A unique development of advanced shielding technology now allows the accelerator to be shielded from the imaging magnet, thus enabling optimal operation of both the accelerator, which actually performs the irradiation, and the MR imaging, which allows for precise tracking of the tumor location during radiation therapy.
The decision on whether to perform radiation therapy with the MR Linac is made by the medical team after a thorough examination of the patient's medical file. Treatment with this accelerator is mainly suitable for oncological patients suffering from tumors in the abdominal and pelvic cavity, including pancreatic, liver, prostate and lung cancer. This is because in these organs there is constant and significant movement, especially when breathing, which makes it difficult to administer a high radiation dose without precise monitoring of what is happening in real time.
To check suitability for treatment, you must first meet with a radiation expert (radiotherapy specialist) at Assuta. Please, contact our team at:
internationaldepartment@assuta.co.il or MEDICALTOURISM@assuta.co.il to schedule an appointment
Notable benefits
The MRI-guided linear accelerator (MR Linac) – prominent advantages:
· A treatment plan is updated according to the real-time location of the tumor.
· MR imaging makes it possible to see the location of the tumor in relation to the adjacent healthy organs on the given day of treatment, and to create a daily radiation plan that provides the full dose to the tumor while maintaining a low dose to the surrounding organs.
· Continuous monitoring during radiation therapy of the tumor site and the adjacent healthy organs.
· The MR imaging operates throughout the entire radiation process, and the system is able to detect when the tumor is beyond the treatment range. In such a situation, the irradiation stops automatically, and resumes only when the tumor re-enters the permitted treatment range.
· The risk of damage to healthy tissues is significantly reduced.
· The ongoing MRI monitoring allows for precise positioning of the radiation, thus significantly reducing the risk of irradiation to healthy tissues and, consequently, the risk of damage to them.
· The ability to administer high radiation doses in each treatment and reduce the number of radiation treatments.
· Due to these capabilities of the new accelerator, significantly higher radiation doses can be administered than those in an accelerator without real-time imaging. As a result, the number of treatments is significantly reduced, and the patient's return to normal life is much faster.
Assuta TrueBeam Accelerators
The MRIdian Linac is the new addition to the two existing Varian TrueBeam accelerators operating at Assuta Ramat HaHayal Hospital, which serve cancer patients requiring radiation therapy.
These accelerators:
Have a significant advantage in the treatment of breast cancer: They make it easier to adjust the treatment area for women with different body structures and increase the level of accuracy as a result.
Are also effective for the treatment of tumors in the extremities and for targeted treatments.
Allow radiation to penetrate deeper into tissues, due to higher photon and electron energies: 3 photon energies instead of 2, and 6 electron energies instead of 5.
Where can I receive the treatment?
MR Linac machines are installed in only about 20 hospitals around the world, known as leaders in medical and technological innovation. Assuta was the 12th hospital to operate it, after a complex preparation period that included training of the medical teams and the construction of a dedicated underground bunker where the machine is located and the treatment is given. The system is now functional and available for patients.
