How does the Varian EDGE system improve radiation therapy?

The Varian EDGE system significantly reduces treatment times, enhances precision through SGRT, and includes safety features to protect healthy tissue and monitor patient movement.

What types of cancers can the Varian EDGE treat?

It is intended for various cancers including brain metastases, head and neck, breast, and lung cancers, as well as certain functional brain disorders.

How does Varian EDGE adapt to patient breathing?

The system uses SGRT to monitor respiration and delivers radiation only during a specific phase when the tumor is optimally positioned.

Home / Health / Radiation Therapy Slashed to Under a Minute

Radiation Therapy Slashed to Under a Minute

23 Dec

•

Summary

New system reduces standard radiation sessions to under one minute.
Advanced therapy adapts to patient position and breathing.
Treatment times for large skin areas cut from 45 to 15 minutes.

Radiation Therapy Slashed to Under a Minute

A groundbreaking Varian EDGE system is revolutionizing radiation therapy by significantly reducing treatment durations. Standard sessions, previously lasting 2.5 to 3 minutes, are now completed in under one minute. This advanced technology utilizes surface-guided radiation therapy (SGRT) to deliver highly focused radiation, precisely adapting to a patient's position and breathing patterns to minimize exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.

This innovation is particularly beneficial for patients undergoing complex and high-risk cancer treatments, including those for multiple brain metastases, head and neck cancers, breast, and lung cancers. Furthermore, large-field skin treatments have seen a remarkable reduction in time, decreasing from approximately 45 minutes to about 15 minutes, offering substantial relief and comfort to patients.

The Varian EDGE system incorporates an automatic safety mechanism that immediately halts radiation if any patient movement is detected, enhancing safety. In most cases, patients will no longer require thermoplastic immobilization casts, except for treatments involving highly mobile organs like the spleen and prostate. The system also enables treatment for certain functional brain disorders, even in the absence of a visible tumor.