Precision 4D Radiotherapy
Types of radiation therapy
ACH has acquired ELEKTA VERSA HD* ; fully loaded state of art Linear Accelerator and Flexitron Brachytherapy machines to serve their patients .
*To be operational in June 2022
It uses a number of different types of radiation therapy to treat all different types of cancer.
Find out more about the type of radiation therapy you or a loved one is having, what you can expect from your treatment and what radiation treatment centre the therapy is offered at from the list below:
- 3D conformal radiation therapy
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
- Volumetric modulated radiation therapy (VMAT)
- Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT)
- Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)
- Brachytherapy
Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy
Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) involves using a computed tomography (CT) scan to design a radiation therapy treatment that is individualised to each patient. The aim of 3DCRT is to deliver a conformal dose of radiation to the tumour while sparing the normal tissue surrounding the tumour as much as possible.
What is 3DCRT used for?
We are able to use 3DCRT to deliver radiation therapy effectively to most areas of the body. The majority of patients treated with radiation therapy at ACH receive 3DCRT, usually in the form of daily treatments over a period of several weeks.
What does 3DCRT mean for you?
If you require 3DCRT, your radiation oncologist will first identify the area requiring treatment on your planning CT scan. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans may also be used to help identify the treatment area. A team of professionals, including your radiation oncologist, radiation therapists and medical physicists, work together to develop a personalised treatment plan using sophisticated radiation therapy software. Each treatment plan will use a number of radiation beams from different angles, shaped to the size and location of your particular tumour. This means we are able to create a high dose of radiation around the tumour while sparing the maximum amount of normal tissue. Your individual plan is then delivered every day on the linear accelerator (the treatment machine) by our radiation therapists.
The 3DCRT team
A team of specialists are required to plan and deliver 3DCRT, including radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and medical physicists. You will also be supported by a range of other professionals including nurses and allied health practitioners.
Please speak with your doctor to determine if 3DCRT is the appropriate treatment choice for you.
INTENSITY MODULATED RADIATION THERAPY (IMRT)
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced form of conformal radiation therapy delivered on a linear accelerator (treatment machine).
During IMRT treatment, the shielding that is built into the treatment machine moves while the radiation beam is turned on. This allows the amount of radiation dose coming from the treatment machine to be intentionally varied. By using many beams coming from different directions the radiation dose can be sculpted even more precisely to follow the shape of the tumour.
The benefit of IMRT is that the high-dose area is confined to the tumour volume more precisely and less of the surrounding area receives a high dose. This means the surrounding organs are better protected and the side effects of treatment can be reduced.
What is IMRT used for?
IMRT is particularly useful for tumours located near healthy organs that are sensitive to radiation therapy. IMRT can be an effective treatment for many types of cancer.
What does IMRT mean for you?
IMRT planning and treatment is technically demanding and requires a high level of precision.
For you as a patient this means having a planning computed tomography (CT) scan in the position of treatment. Extra equipment is likely to be used to help you stay in exactly the right spot. Developing the ideal radiation treatment plan for each patient can take a little longer depending on the complexity of the case. Precise quality assurance is also required to check the accuracy of the plan.
The IMRT procedure typically takes around 20 minutes, much like a three-dimensional conformal treatment. IMRT is used in conjunction with image-guided radiation therapy, where x-ray images are taken before treatment to ensure the highest accuracy of treatment delivery. IMRT uses the same type of radiation as other radiation therapy treatments.
The IMRT Team
IMRT treatment is planned and delivered at ACH Radiation Therapy Department.
A team of specialists are required to plan and deliver IMRT, including radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and medical physicists. You will also be supported by a range of other professionals including nurses and allied health practitioners. ACH radiation therapy team is proud to offer this treatment, and we are dedicated to developing and progressing treatment options for the people of Mauritius.
Please speak with your doctor to determine if IMRT is the appropriate treatment choice for you.
VOLUMETRIC MODULATED ARC THERAPY (VMAT)
Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is a novel radiation therapy technique that delivers the radiation dose continuously as the treatment machine rotates. This technique accurately shapes the radiation dose to the tumour while minimising the dose to the organs surrounding the tumour.
VMAT works similarly to intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in the way the radiation dose is varied throughout treatment.
What is VMAT used for?
VMAT is particularly useful for delivering radiation therapy to tumours near sensitive body organs, and can be an effective treatment for many types of cancer.
What does VMAT mean for you?
VMAT planning and treatment is technically demanding and requires a high level of precision. The VMAT procedure typically takes around 20 minutes, much like a three-dimensional conformal treatment. Most of this time is positioning you accurately. X-ray images are taken daily to check that everything is lining up as planned and then treatment can be given. VMAT uses the same type of radiation as other radiotherapy treatments.
The VMAT Team
VMAT treatment is planned and delivered at ACH Radiation Therapy Department.
A team of specialists are required to plan and deliver VMAT, including radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and medical physicists. You will also be supported by a range of other professionals including nurses and allied health practitioners. The ACH radiation therapy team is proud to offer this treatment, and we are dedicated to developing and progressing treatment options for the people of Mauritius.
Please speak with your doctor to determine if VMAT is the appropriate treatment choice for you.
IMAGE GUIDED RADIATION THERAPY (IGRT)
Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) is the use of x-ray images taken immediately before, during or after your radiation therapy treatment session to improve the accuracy and precision of treatment.
What is IGRT used for?
IGRT may be used in conjunction with many of the radiation therapy treatments we can provide including:
⦁ Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy
⦁ Intensity-modulated radiation therapy
⦁ Volumetric modulated radiation therapy
⦁ Stereotactic radiosurgery
⦁ Stereotactic body radiation therapy
⦁ Gated radiation therapy
⦁ Adaptive radiation therapy
IGRT may be used during radiation therapy to any part of the body. IGRT is used most commonly for areas of the body prone to movement, such as the lungs or prostate, and those located close to sensitive organs, such as cancers in the head and neck area.
What does IGRT mean for you?
The machines that deliver the radiation therapy (linear accelerators) have specialised equipment built in to take high-quality x-ray images. This allows images to be taken while you are positioned on the radiation therapy treatment couch. Images can be taken immediately before, during or after treatment. These images are compared with the images that were taken to plan your radiation therapy treatment. By comparing the treatment images to the planning images, we are able to make millimetre adjustments to the position of the treatment beams to ensure that treatment is being delivered precisely.
The IGRT Team
IGRT can be delivered at all five of our ACH Radiation Therapy Department.
A team of specialists are required to deliver IGRT, including radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and medical physicists. You will also be supported by a range of other professionals including nurses and allied health practitioners. The ACH radiation therapy team is proud to offer this treatment, and we are dedicated to developing and progressing treatment options for the people of Mauritius.
Please speak with your doctor to determine if IGRT is the appropriate treatment choice for you.
STEREOTACTIC RADIOSURGERY (SRS)
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) are advanced forms of radiation therapy where high doses of radiation are delivered to small targets within the brain. SRS and SRT are noninvasive procedures that require no anesthetic or incisions.
SRS and SRT offer a technique that allows the area needing treatment to receive a maximum dose of radiation while minimising the dose to the surrounding healthy brain tissue. SRS is usually delivered in one treatment. SRT is usually delivered over several treatments.
What are SRS and SRT used for?
SRS and SRT are used for very small lesions in the brain. The brain lesions treated may be malignant (cancerous) or benign (not cancerous). SRS and SRT are used for both primary brain cancers (cancers originating in the brain) and for secondary brain cancers (cancers spread from elsewhere in the body).
What do SRS and SRT mean for you?
SRS and SRT employ the latest in treatment technology coupled with the use of sophisticated x-ray imaging to enable sub-millimetre accuracy. To help you keep very still during treatment, a special head frame is used to maintain your position exactly as required. SRS is delivered in one single session and generally lasts less than an hour. SRT is delivered in multiple treatments and takes approximately 30 minutes each time.
The SRS and SRT Team
SRS and SRT are planned and delivered at our ACH Radiation Therapy Department.
A team of specialists are required to plan and deliver SRS including radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and medical physicists, alongside your neurology specialists. You will also be supported by a range of other professionals including nurses and allied health practitioners. ACH specialists have a long history of treating SRS, and our experience is extensive. We use a highly sophisticated treatment machine incorporating the latest technology so we can offer our patients the best possible care.
Please speak with your doctor to determine if SRS and SRT are appropriate treatments for you.
BRACHYTHERAPY
Brachytherapy is a form of internal radiation therapy where a small radioactive source is delivered directly to the tumour.
The radioactive sources are enclosed in protective capsules that travel through special applicators to the part of the body containing cancer. Sometimes the radiation sources may be implanted directly into an organ during a surgical procedure. The main advantage of brachytherapy is that large doses of radiation can be delivered directly to the tumour.
What is brachytherapy used for?
Brachytherapy can be an effective treatment for several cancers and may be used alone or in conjunction with other types of treatment. Brachytherapy can be an effective treatment for some types of:
⦁ Prostate cancer
⦁ Gynaecological cancer
⦁ Skin cancer
⦁ Soft tissue cancer
⦁ Oesophageal cancer
⦁ Lung cancer
What does brachytherapy mean for you?
There are two main types of brachytherapy, and the treatment you receive will depend upon the type of cancer you have:
High dose rate brachytherapy involves positioning the radiation source into the cancer for a short period of time. The radiation source is guided into the area requiring treatment through special applicators (tubes) inserted into body cavities or tissues. The applicators are removed after each treatment for most patients. Some patients may stay overnight with the applicators in place and receive a number of treatments.
Low dose rate brachytherapy is used for treating some types of prostate cancer. It involves implanting around one hundred small radioactive seeds into the prostate gland. The seeds remain in the prostate permanently and deliver a continuous radiation dose to the prostate over a period of approximately six months. The radiation dose emitted by the seeds is low, which makes them safe for permanent implantation. You will be able to live normally after a seed implant.
The Brachytherapy Team
Brachytherapy treatment is planned and delivered at ACH.
The ACH brachytherapy team is made up of specialist radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and medical physicists. We also work closely with surgical oncologists and anaesthetists when intraoperative brachytherapy is used. Our team has a strong research focus and has published many technical and clinical papers. Taking care of patients is our priority, and we are constantly seeking ways to improve both the service to our patients and the outcomes for our patients. The ACH radiation therapy team is proud to offer this treatment, and we are dedicated to developing and progressing treatment options for the people of Mauritius.
Please speak with your doctor to determine if brachytherapy is the appropriate treatment choice for you.