Cancer Treatment Technology

The TrueBeam radiotherapy system is designed to treat cancer anywhere the body.

The Varian TrueBeam radiotherapy system offers a major upgrade for local cancer patients. Benefits include more accuracy, better comfort and less time for treatment — all at a convenient location. Marshall Cancer Care Center is pleased to make this advanced technology available, and provide safe, precise and effective care for our patients close to home.

What This Means For You

• Better technology: The new system allows for even more accurate treatment, improved patient comfort and reduced treatment time.
• Same trusted team: All treatments delivered by the same dedicated staff you know and trust.

We’re Here to Support You

We understand any change in treatment equipment may cause questions or concerns. Please know our team is committed to keeping your care uninterrupted and to making this transition as easy as possible. Thank you for trusting us with your care. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue serving you with the most advanced technology available.

How Does TrueBeam Radiotherapy Work?

Developed by Varian Medical Systems, the world leader in radiotherapy oncology solutions, TrueBeam uses high-energy X-rays (photons), or in some cases, streams of electrons, to destroy cancer cells. When you undergo a TrueBeam treatment, a precisely-shaped beam hits the cancerous cells. Their ability to reproduce is compromised and they eventually die, causing the tumor to shrink.

In the U.S., two out of three people with cancer undergo some form of radiotherapy as part of their treatment, according to the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). The fact that radiotherapy has been used as a part of cancer treatment regimens for many years speaks its effectiveness at fighting cancer.

Advantages of TrueBeam Treatment

• NONINVASIVE. There is no incision or surgery with TrueBeam and no post-surgery recovery period.
• FAST. The ability to deliver higher doses of radiation at great speed allows most treatments to be given in just minutes a day.
• PRECISE. TrueBeam uses a highly sophisticated imaging system that allows doctors to “see” the tumor they’re treating in real time and target it with pinpoint precision. Even tumors that move when you breathe — those in the lungs, for example — can be precisely targeted thanks to special tools that compensate for motion during a treatment.
• VERSATILE. TrueBeam can be used to deliver advanced radiotherapy or radiosurgery, giving doctors the flexibility to use whatever protocol is appropriate for your particular cancer. Because of its versatility, TrueBeam gives us options to treat cancers in even challenging places like the head and neck, lungs, breast, abdomen and liver.
• INDIVIDUALIZED. Every tumor is different, and TrueBeam can shape the radiation beam to accurately match the size and form of most tumors regardless of their shape. It uses a device called a multileaf collimator that shapes the treatment beam precisely to match the shape of the tumor from any given treatment angle, minimizing exposure of the surrounding healthy tissue.
• COMFORTABLE. A closed-circuit television system enables your radiation therapist to watch you during treatment, and two-way audio lets you talk with the therapist. TrueBeam runs so quietly, you can even listen to music during treatment to help you relax.

The TrueBeam Radiotherapy System provides several advanced treatments:

SBRT (Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy) — SBRT enables Marshall Cancer Care Center to use advanced imaging techniques to deliver a targeted radiation dose to a tumor. The radiation focuses on the tumor with millimeter precision, resulting in less damage to healthy tissue. SBRT creates a 3D image of a tumor and matches the radiation to its exact size and shape. This technology is used primarily on tumors in the lung, spine, brain and liver.

SBRT (Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy) – A technique used to treat tumors elsewhere in the body.

IMRT (Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy) – A technique during which doctors vary (or modulate) the amount of radiation that is sent to different parts of your tumor, while shaping the beam to match precisely the shape, size, and position of the tumor.

IGRT (Image-Guided Radiotherapy) – Uses advanced imaging that allows the clinical team to visualize and verify the exact position of your tumor –both prior to and during your treatment.

VMAT (Volumetric-Modulated Arc Therapy), i.e. RapidArc® – Enables treatments that once took ten to thirty minutes tobe delivered in as little as two minutes or less.

Gated treatment, including Gated RapidArc – Monitors your breathing and turns the beam on only when your tumor is in the optimal position for treatment.