"Smart” Technology Dramatically Speeds Up Radiotherapy Treatment

The new Smart Segmentation automatic contouring feature is the first fully automatic tool that uses intelligent software to identify and outline, within diagnostic images, organs and other structures to be irradiated or protected during treatment. The system was developed by Varian Medical Systems (Palo Alto, CA, USA).

"Contouring is an important first step in creating a radiotherapy treatment plan,” said Jeff Amacker, business manager for treatment planning systems, Varian. "In the past, it has been one of the most time-consuming tasks in the radiotherapy treatment planning process. Now, with Smart Segmentation, we'll be able to decrease the amount of time spent creating the average treatment plan by about 25-30%.”

The first version of the Smart Segmentation tool performs automatic contouring of tumors and surrounding anatomy in the thorax and in the male pelvis. Additional anatomic sites will be added in the near future.

In addition to the Smart Segmentation tool, Varian also presented other new software products and features at the 2007 meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), held from July 22-26,2007, in Minneapolis, MN, USA. Among the other innovations: Beam Angle Optimization, which is a treatment planning tool that automates the process of choosing the beam angles to use when administering radiation from different directions to converge on the targeted tumor.

The best treatment plans maximize the dose going to the tumor while protecting surrounding healthy tissue and organs. Beam angle optimization uses advanced algorithms to analyze anatomic images and calculate the optimal number and combination of angles for achieving the desired radiation dose distribution in and around the tumor.

Enhancements to the Varian Aria Oncology Information System have been developed that improve the integration between medical and radiation oncology treatment information and support more flexible data gathering.

The electronic medical record (EMR) has been modified so that medical and radiation oncology treatment information appears on the same assessment screens, providing clinicians with a more comprehensive look at a patient's complete treatment history. In addition, new customizable data collection forms enable treatment centers to capture and aggregate data about treatments and side effects to identify trends and continually improve treatment quality.


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