Osaka City University Hospital has implemented an innovative cancer treatment from Elekta called Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT). Using a combination of Elekta Synergy and ERGO++ treatment planning, VMAT can significantly shorten treatment times and provides precise, organ-sparing radiation therapy.
The first VMAT treatment at Osaka City University Hospital took place on March 9. It was a fractional dose of 2 Gy, delivered to a patient with prostate cancer, and the delivery time was just 110 seconds.
Assistant Professor Kentaro Ishii, M.D., Ph.D., said, “A simple inverse plan, with dose constraints to the target and several organs at risk, resulted in a dose distribution comparable to IMRT. The delivery time of less than two minutes was just amazing.”
VMAT with Elekta Synergy and ERGO++ treatment planning system provides simultaneous control of gantry position and speed, multileaf collimator (MLC) leaves, dose rate and collimator angle, while the beam is on and rotating. ERGO++ uses a special algorithm to perform split-second dose calculations, enabling highly conformal and complex plans, while ensuring the maximum possible dose is delivered to the target.
Osaka City University Hospital is the second facility in Japan to begin VMAT treatments. Since the first patient was treated in March, two additional prostate patients have been treated with VMAT. Plans are now being made to begin treating brain tumors, as well as head and neck tumors.
“In Japan, the number of cancer patients has been dramatically increasing, leading to problematically high demands on radiotherapy facilities,” says Dr. Ishii. “VMAT is our quantum-leap solution to provide high precision treatment to the quickly increasing cancer population.”
For further information, please contact:
Stina Thorman, Investor Relations, Elekta AB
Tel: +46 8 587 254 37, +46 70 778 60 10, e-mail: stina.thorman@elekta.com
Eri Takayanagi, Elekta KK
Tel: +81 3 6722 3800, e-mail: eri.takayanagi@elekta.com
About Elekta
Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems for radiation therapy and radiosurgery, as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer care.
Stretching the boundaries of science and technology, providing intelligent and resource-efficient solutions that offer confidence to both healthcare providers and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save patient lives, making the future possible today.
Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 5,000 hospitals globally, and every day more than 100,000 patients receive diagnosis, treatment or follow-up with the help of a solution from the Elekta Group.
Elekta employs around 2,500 employees globally. The corporate headquarter is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker EKTAb. For more information about Elekta, please visit www.elekta.com.
