Imaging, Therapy Combo Reduces Safety Margin in Oncology

Siemens' CT-sliding gantry system is recognized as the gold standard in in-room treatment imaging.

The company's latest advancement in ART, MVision, is Siemens' megavoltage cone beam (MVCB) IGRT system, the first commercial implementation of cone beam technology utilizing a standard radiotherapy treatment beam. MVision makes it possible for the megavoltage (MV) source used for treatment to also create a three-dimensional (3D) image of the patient, enabling clinicians to "see inside” the patient at the most appropriate moment.

"Disparate pieces of the therapeutic puzzle create adequate, but by no means optimal care,” said Holger Schmidt, the new president of Siemens Medical Solutions Oncology Care division. "By transforming the therapeutic approach, we can connect those pieces and complete the picture of truly personalized cancer care.”

Mr. Schmidt, flanked by radiation oncology researcher and co-presenter Dr. John Buatti of the University of Iowa (Iowa City, USA), delivered his comments at the 48th Annual American Society of Therapeutic Radiology (ASTRO) meeting held in November 2006 in Philadelphia (PA, USA).

"Technologic advances such as this can increase the ‘safety margin' of patient treatments while at the same time reducing costs,” said Dr. Buatti. "We have the ability to be incredibly precise with the delivery of radiation therapy, and that's great news for patients.”

In addition to MVision, Siemens presented its oncology workflow and information technology (IT) systems with the syngoSuite for Oncology, based on the company's universal user-friendly software platform for all modalities. The syngo Suite for Oncology integrates imaging, data, and user management functions of the principle users in radiation oncology departments to provide optimal workflow.



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