Clatterbridge leads the way with latest radiotherapy innovation

Posted 14th February 2014

First facility in Europe to introduce Varian's TrueBeam 2.0

The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is the first facility in Europe to install the latest upgrade in radiotherapy equipment – Varian’s TrueBeam 2.0 – which provides the utmost accuracy for radiotherapy treatments and represents a £2 million investment in new technology.

Professor Philip Mayles, Head of Physics at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, commented; “The new software really sets us apart from other centres and will allow us to deliver the best possible radiotherapy treatments to our patients due to two pioneering additions; the new PerfectPitch treatment couch which integrates with the existing machine to offer even more accuracy in patient positioning, and developments to the integrated imager , which allows the movement of a patient’s tumour to be assessed before and during treatment .”

The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is working with Varian Medical Systems to evaluate the new equipment over an 8 week period, before Varian makes the new features available to other centres across the world, meaning the Merseyside based centre is at the forefront of this innovative development.

The TrueBeam 2.0 machine will be primarily used to treat patients with lung, head & neck, oesophagus and bladder cancers, with a specific focus on lung cancers, due to the ability to image in 4D. The 4D scanner can take images of a tumour at every position during breathing motion to verify accurate treatment delivery for patients.

Philip, added; “Using the 4D scanner during treatment allows us to take into account the movement of the tumour associated with breathing and to turn the beams on and off so that radiation is delivered only when it is in the correct position. The 4D scanner allows us to map the path of the tumour on screen during treatment to verify that the beams are reaching the cancerous cells at exactly the right point. In addition we can now also angle the treatment couch to ensure that the patient position is exactly as intended. ”

The TrueBeam system was developed to deliver powerful radiotherapy treatments with pinpoint accuracy and precision. Most treatments take just a few minutes and create a more comfortable patient experience because of the minimal time spent on the treatment couch, faster delivery and reduced chances of patient motion during treatment.

Varian Medical Systems is a world leader in developing and supplying radiotherapy and radiosurgery equipment and software for the treatment of cancer. Over 100,000 patients across the world are treated daily on Varian systems.
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre have a long-standing relationship with Varian, who created the TrueBeam 2.0 machine, and provide training schools for staff from radiotherapy centres across the world who need training in the use of this new equipment.