WHAT IS TOMOTHERAPY?

TomoTherapy® combines an advanced form of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), with the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) scanning technology, all in one machine. With this advanced technology, we can sculpt powerful and precise radiation beams to treat hard-to-reach tumours. Using built-in CT scanning to confirm the shape and position of the tumour before each treatment, TomoTherapy reduces radiation exposure to healthy tissues and organs.

HOW IT WORKS

Before every treatment, advanced scanning technology provides a 3D image of the treatment area, so the radiation beams can be targeted according to the size, shape and location of the tumour(s) on that specific day. During treatment, we can adjust the intensity and direction of the radiation beams in real time. The revolutionary slice therapy approach treats tumours one layer at a time. Side effects are often minimized because less radiation reaches healthy tissues and organs.

360º delivery.

Conventional machine design allows radiation to be delivered from only a few directions. The TomoTherapy treatment systems™ linear accelerator (linac) is mounted to a CT scanner-like ring gantry, which means TomoTherapy treatments can be delivered continuously, from all angles around the patient. More beam directions give physicians more control in how they plan treatments and more assurance that the dose will be confined to the tumour, reducing the risk of short- and long-term side effects.

Thousands of targeted beamlets.

The TomoTherapy treatment system uses a patented multi-leaf collimator (MLC) that divides the radiation beam into beamlets, all aimed at the tumour. Typically, tens of thousands of beamlets are used in a single TomoTherapy treatment session. Powerful software optimizes the contribution of each one to the total tumour dose, minimizing exposure to healthy tissue.

CTrue™ image guidance for every patient, every day™

Our unique ring gantry design facilitates a 360º delivery pattern. Perhaps even more importantly, it integrates true CT imaging that can be used on a daily basis to guide the accurate delivery of each treatment session. No other radiation therapy machine offers this seamless integration of image-guided and intensity-modulated radiation therapy.

IMAGE GUIDED RADIATION THERAPY (IGRT)

We use image guided radiation therapy (IGRT), one of the most cutting-edge innovations in cancer technology available.

Tumours can move, because of breathing and other movement in the body. IGRT allows our doctors to locate and track the tumour at the time of treatment. With this technology, we can deliver precise radiation treatment to tumours that shift as a result of breathing and movement of the bladder and bowels.

This also allows our radiation oncologists to make technical adjustments when a tumour moves outside of the planned treatment range. As a result, the radiation treatment is targeted to the tumour as much as possible, helping to limit radiation exposure to healthy tissue and reduce common radiation side effects.

TOMOTHERAPY TREATMENT PLANNING SYSTEM

Via three intuitive tabs, the TomoTherapy® Treatment Planning System enables you to quickly and intuitively create sophisticated IMRT or 3DCRT treatment plans for fast and accurate treatment delivery for cases that range from simple to complex.

With the TomoTherapy Treatment Planning System, treatments are prescribed and plans optimized based on diagnostic CT and anatomical structure data that includes the specified dosimetric goals and constraints. Three-dimensional dose distributions and dose-volume histograms (DVHs) are available as analytical tools to either accept or modify and re-optimize the planned dose.

The Tomotherapy offers a number of tools which includes the VoLOTM planning software

VoLO™ Technology makes treatment planning faster, more flexible and more interactive, for developing optimal TomoTherapy treatment plans for more patients. This plan calculator relies on high-end graphics processing unit (GPU) hardware and software that leverages the GPU’s parallel processing abilities to perform dose calculations and optimizations in a matter of minutes. Multiple plans can be simultaneously optimized, finalized and saved, ready for quality assurance and delivery, including plans for large, complicated treatment volumes.

TOMOTHERAPY TREATMENT DELIVERY

The TomoHD™ System combines both TomoHelical™ and TomoDirect™ into a single, comprehensive solution that efficiently handles clinical indications of any complexity with ease, broadening the possibilities for a radiation oncology practice and the patients it serves. With this integrated solution, you can accurately and efficiently treat tumours anywhere in the body.

Finely-tuned for efficiency and performance, the TomoHD System provides enterprise wide integration, including OIS connectivity, enhanced usability and high performance. It also offers a streamlined design that gives treatment centers even more flexibility, enabling the system to be placed in bunkers smaller than those required for older gantry-based radiation therapy systems.

THE TOMO PROCESS

The TomoTherapy platform introduces a new, integrated way to deliver radiation treatments for cancer. The process makes it easier on clinicians and patients alike.

Planning

Before beginning a TomoTherapy treatment, the doctor uses 3D images from a combination of scanning technologies (such as CT and MRI) and special software to establish the precise contours for each treatment volume (tumor) and any regions at risk (sensitive organs or structures). The doctor then decides how much radiation the tumor should receive, as well as acceptable levels for surrounding structures. The TomoTherapy treatment system calculates the appropriate pattern, position and intensity of the radiation beam to be delivered, to match the doctors prescription as closely as possible.

Patient positioning

As both a treatment delivery machine and a CT scanner, the TomoTherapy system allows doctors to take a CT scan just before each treatment. With the scan, they can verify the position of the tumor and, if necessary, adjust the patient's position to help make sure radiation is directed right where it should be.

Precise treatment delivery

The TomoTherapy treatment system delivers radiation therapy with a spiral delivery pattern (TomoHelical) or discrete-angle approach (TomoDirect). Photon radiation is produced by a linear accelerator (or linac for short), which travels around the patient and moves in unison with a device called a multi-leaf collimator, or MLC, that shapes the beam. Meanwhile, the couch is also moving guiding the patient slowly through the center of the ring.