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Posted 1/15/2013 11:42 AM (GMT -5)
Varian Clinac iX? Varian Trilogy? Tomotherapy? These are some of the choices I have for SRT. Does it matter?
Posted 1/15/2013 12:40 PM (GMT -5)
My treatment was on the Varian system. Not sure it really matters that much - the experience and skill of your RO and the technicians running the machine are far more important.

Warm socks are very important too. Couldn't have done my treatments with out a nice thick pair of warm wooly socks.

All the best,
Andrew
Posted 1/15/2013 12:55 PM (GMT -5)
I used the Elekta system for my treatment. My RO purchased the new machine in March 2011 and I had my treatment in Nov./Dec. of 2011.

I think as long you have the right team and the newest technology it does not matter.

Posted 1/15/2013 2:23 PM (GMT -5)
this last time with radiation, had tomography on IMRT Varian machine. Unfortunately, its "precise" aiming and "safeguards" didn't work for me. Still comes down to the skill of the Radiation oncologist and the machine operators and being on a properly maintained/upgraded current machine.
d
david
Posted 1/15/2013 2:39 PM (GMT -5)
The machines are called LINACS, Linear Accelerators..They cost millions of dollars and hospitals and treatment centers expect to get at least 10 years out of them..The newest machines are able to position the patient and aim the beam more accurately than the older units. They are more powerful, so time on the table is considerably reduced as the dose is administered faster..Some use a moving gantry so the dose received by healthy tissue is greatly reduced..(Varian RapidArc). Huge gains have been made in computerized controls over the past 10 years and the newest LINACS reflect this..But yes indeed, it's the skill of the RO who will write your treatment program (aim the beam) and the operators who actually perform the treatment and operate the machine, these people are just as important, if not more important, when it comes to achieving a successful outcome..
Posted 1/15/2013 4:20 PM (GMT -5)
You can break down the radiation machines, (I think) into two general groups. Traditional and SBRT machines. Traditional machines are used to give many, low dose treatments ( 35-40 treatments in 6-7 weeks). SBRT machines can do higher doses in fewer treatments ( 5 hig dose treatments in 5 days, typically).

SBRT machines also must, because of the higher doses, deliver the energy more accurately ( to prevent serious side effects) by keeping track of the target by the use of fiducials or beacons that are implanted in the prostate before treatment. The two SBRT machines I am familiar with are CyberKnife and RapidArc. These machines automatically track the position of the prostate and compensate ( within limits) for movement of the prostate. The energy can be delivered to better than a 1mm accuracy. Traditional radiation machines are accurate to about 3 mm.
All/both types use a LINAC ( linear accelerator ) to produce the high energy electrons ( photons).
Posted 1/15/2013 4:26 PM (GMT -5)
How about those machines that do a CT scan before each treatment, to account for movements of internal organs. Is the extra radiation for the CT scan an issue, or is that worked into the whole treatment dosage?
Posted 1/15/2013 6:21 PM (GMT -5)
the CT radiation isn't really an issue. The therapeutic radiation is far greater that then daily CT. I don't know for sure, but I'd assume that the radiation calculation accounts for it. That would be interesting question to ask the RO.

Andrew
Posted 1/15/2013 6:38 PM (GMT -5)

reachout said...
How about those machines that do a CT scan before each treatment, to account for movements of internal organs. Is the extra radiation for the CT scan an issue, or is that worked into the whole treatment dosage?

 

Not sure but thats what I had...the CT scan was to ensure of proper position and also they would tell me my bladder was the correct fullness.  They were very picky with the amout of the bladder....even told me it was too full a few times.

Posted 1/15/2013 10:28 PM (GMT -5)
RapidArc does CtScans every 10 minutes or so. CyberKnife has two built-in XRay machines that take a picture every 20 seconds or so. So theoretically CK should do a better job tracking and compensating for prostate movement. From what I have read, the prostate can move around a bit in less than 10 minutes.

The extra radiation from the CT or Xray is negligible compared to the treatment radiation, from what I have read.  And it doesn't add to the toxicity, so this must be true.

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