Press release:
UR Medicine’s Wilmot Cancer Institute Batavia has installed a new linear accelerator, which delivers beams of high-energy radiation to treat a variety of cancers. This new machine provides image-guided and intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatments, which can more precisely and effectively target tumors.
“Because about half of all cancer patients receive some type of radiation during the course of their treatment, technology like this can have a significant impact for many people,” said Kevin J. Mudd, M.D., radiation oncologist at Wilmot Cancer Institute Batavia. “Precision is extremely important in delivering radiation therapy, and we are excited to offer these cutting-edge options to patients in our community.”
Radiation therapy kills cancer cells by damaging the cells’ DNA. Using a linear accelerator, a beam of radiation is delivered from outside the body to the tumor. To protect nearby healthy tissues and organs, that beam must be tightly focused to the size and contours of the tumor.
That process can be complicated by the tumor’s location and how it shifts as a patient breathes and as nearby organs move. A prostate tumor, for example, can move as much as 8 millimeters a day depending on factors such as how full the bladder is.
With image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), high-quality digital CT images of the tumor and/or x-rays of bony landmarks near the tumor are captured real-time and compared to those taken during treatment planning for each daily treatment. This allows Mudd and his team to verify the tumor position in the alignment with radiation beams. If needed, they can make fine adjustments of the patient’s position to align with the radiation beams and deliver the treatment with extreme precision.
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) uses 3-dimensional digital images to guide treatment. Based on these images, the radiation dose is shaped to the exact size and contours of the tumor, minimizing radiation exposure to surrounding tissues. The radiation oncologist can then aim thin beams of radiation of varying intensities at the tumor from many angles.
“Both of these technologies allow us to target the radiation beam more effectively while protecting healthy tissue and organs. This gives us clinical advantages particularly for prostate cancer, head and neck cancers, lung cancer, brain tumors, and tumors of the gastrointestinal tract,” said Mudd, who has provided radiation oncology services in Batavia for 15 years. “For patients, this can mean fewer side effects and lower risk of long-term complications.”
“The enhanced features of radiation treatment technology also enable us to continue building access to cutting-edge clinical trials through the combined radiation and chemotherapy service on site at Wilmot Cancer Institute Batavia,” said Yuhchyau Chen, M.D., Ph.D., chair of UR Medicine Radiation Oncology. “With Dr. Mudd and his team, patients in the Batavia area can be confident that they will receive high-quality care with advanced cancer treatment technology closer to home.”
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UR Medicine’s Wilmot Cancer Institute is the Finger Lakes region’s leader for cancer care and research. As a component of Strong Memorial Hospital, Wilmot Cancer Institute provides specialty cancer care services at the University of Rochester Medical Center and a network of locations throughout the region. The Institute also includes a team of 100 scientists who investigate many aspects of cancer, with an emphasis on how best to provide precision cancer care. To learn more, visit wilmot.urmc.edu.
