Is radiotherapy possible under 1.5 Tesla Mr guidance?
UNITY 1.5 T MR-Linac, which is one of the technologies that brings us closer to the principle of giving the highest dose to the tumor, which is the main target of radiation oncology, while giving the least dose to normal tissues, is a device available in only a few centers in the world. It has entered the service of our patients in Istanbul.
Who is this device suitable for?
It can be used in patients who can enter a 1.5 Tesla MR Device (Some pacemakers and metal-containing stents may not be suitable) and in need of radiotherapy. With its high soft tissue resolution, 1.5 tesla MR linac provides the most important advantages, especially in the radiotherapy of tumors where soft tissues such as the abdomen, neck, heart, lung and brain are dense.
What are the advantages of treatment with 1.5 Tesla MR-Linac?
1- Tumor and normal tissues look better. Not only predictable movements of tumor and normal tissues such as breathing are detected, but also unpredictable movements such as bowel movements.
2- DAILY ADAPTIVE treatment is possible with a treatment plan that is made from the beginning according to the current position of the tumor and normal tissues, which is redefined on each treatment day.
3- During the application of the ADAPTIVE treatment, which is calculated according to the positions on each treatment day, the patient's position is constantly controlled by the MR images obtained simultaneously (POSITION CONTROL DURING THE TREATMENT).
4- DYNAMIC MR CHANGES, which occur in the tumor of the patient whose radiotherapy continues, allows us to have an idea about the response of the tumor to the treatment (FDA approval is available in MR-Linak UNITY).
For which cancers it can be used?
It can be used in prostate, pancreas, rectum, cervix, endometrium, liver, adrenal gland, head and neck cancers, lymph node metastases, soft tissue metastases, omental metastases, brain tumors, lung, heart, breast and esophagus tumors. 1.5 Tesla UNITY MR-Linac can be used for both primary cancers and metastases of the counted regions.
Is there any disadvantages of treatment with 1.5 Tesla MR-Linac
-Since the treatment is of course planned as ADAPTIVE, the patient has to lie on the treatment table for a while. The treatment can be completed in around 30 minutes. Unity's interior design is really successful. It is designed in an airy and light color. Although it does not give the feeling of being closed, our patients who have a phobia of all kinds of closed spaces may sometimes have problems. For this reason, treatment under anesthesia is applied when necessary.
Examples from Unity treatment planning
Can you tell us the story of the establishment of Unity in Liv Hospital Ulus as the 31st center in the world that can apply this treatment?
Actually, it was a long journey from dream to reality. I would like to summarize the background of Unity's establishment in our hospital with a short video below. It should be known that such a high-tech radiotherapy device cannot be brought to any hospital without competent people (doctor, physicist, technician) who are dedicated to using it, a radiotherapy company such as Elekta that properly evaluates consumer returns, and hospital managers who are forward-thinking about oncological investments.