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New cancer treatment makes debut

Published Wednesday, December 02, 2009 11:04 AM

By Jim Tatum
The Gazette

Provided

The linear accelerator machine is a crucial component to the new treatment.

About a month ago, Thomas Blalock was told he has prostate cancer.

It’s news no one wants, but the sooner it’s discovered, the more options tend to be available and the better the chance of recovery.

After reviewing and discussing his options, Blalock decided on a new type of radiation treatment, RapidArc radiotherapy.

RapidArc, now offered for the first time in South Carolina at Trident Medical Center, is the latest and most advanced form of radiation therapy available to cancer patients.

RapidArc technology delivers image-guided IMRT (intensity-modulated radiation therapy) quickly, in a single rotation of the treatment machine – called a linear accelerator – around the patient.

The system may be considered as an alternative to surgery or other types of radiation therapy for appropriate patients. It is designed to treat tumors at certain sites, including the prostate, head and neck or abdomen.

This new treatment is faster than conventional radiotherapy and is the most recent and advanced form of radiation therapy available to cancer patients today, noted Michelle Horton, RN, oncology director for Trident Health System.

“We are excited to offer our oncology patients newer, more improved radiation technology that delivers therapy with enhanced accuracy,” Horton said. “Patients will not only benefit from a more precise dose of radiation, but the shorter treatment length also will save time and enhance patient comfort.”

The system has a number of advantages to traditional IG-IMRT, Dr. William Collins said.

For one, it’s faster – two to eight times faster – than traditional radiation therapy, he said. It also delivers radiation from all possible angles with one 360-degree pass.

A major advantage is patient comfort, Collins noted.

In typical radiation therapy situations, prostate cancer patients are given the treatment while their bladders are full and while they are lying on hard, flat tables, often for 15-20 minutes at a time, he said.

“RapidArc is much easier on the patient; in less than two minutes, it will allow physicians to target tumors with pinpoint accuracy,” he said. “It’s hard for people to hold still for long periods of time. By delivering doses more quickly, we can simultaneously improve the quality of care and make our patients more comfortable.”

RapidArc is not appropriate for all types of cancer; at the moment it is being used for prostate cancer treatment only but will be used for other cancers as well, Collins said.

An important point to remember is that this treatment is not a “magic bullet” cure, he said. Early detection and treatment is key, and men at risk should get tested.

PSA testing for prostate cancer generally starts for most men at age 50, but African American men and anyone with a family history should start getting tested at age 40, he said.

As his cancer has not spread but is still solely in the prostate, Blalock said he chose to try RapidArc rather than other options, including surgery. He also said that it is his understanding that RapidArc is the treatment option least likely to damage other tissues and organs.

While he only recently started the treatment, Blalock says he is hopeful that RapidArc will work for him. The treatment will last nine weeks and he will go five days a week. However, he says he appreciates the convenience not only of the treatment time itself, but the fact that he goes at the same time every day.

“So far, so good,” he said. “They certainly seem intelligent about what they’re doing – and they’re mighty friendly folks.”

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