Cancer Diversity
Ability to treat a range of tumour sites.
The MR Linac: Precise imaging. Less treatments. Advanced accuracy.
With the MR Linac, a pioneering combination of MRI and linear accelerator technology, we can deliver stronger and more accurate doses of radiation. This allows us to adapt treatment plans daily to account for changes in tumour size, shape, and position. Patients benefit from fewer treatments, reduced side effects, and less disruption to their daily lives.
Radiation therapy has long been considered one of the main choices for conventional cancer treatment. With approximately 25,000 New Zealanders diagnosed with cancer every year, about half of these will have radiation therapy as a part of their treatment.
MRI guided radiation therapy is one of the most promising recent technological advancements seen in radiation therapy practices. The integration of MRI with treatment machines has been driven by superior soft tissue contrast, organ motion visualisation and the ability to monitor tumour motion and physiological changes.
Have questions about MR Linac?
Traditional radiation therapy involves one treatment plan, delivered over several treatments with daily conebeam CT imaging. With MRI guided radiation therapy, it is now possible to create daily treatment plans considering the anatomical changes highlighted by the MRI. This also eliminates any extra radiation exposure required for imaging, compared to conventional CT guided treatment.
Enhanced soft tissue imaging combined with daily adaptive treatment planning takes modern radiation therapy to new heights. It allows for decreased margins and ultimately preserves more surrounding healthy tissue, reducing side effects experienced by patients. The increased image quality will create treatment pathways for patients in New Zealand where previously radiation may
not have been an option.
The MR Linac is most suitable for soft tissue cancers, particularly those in the abdomen and pelvis. To determine your suitability for radiation on the MR Linac, we will require a referral to one of our radiation oncologists from your GP or medical specialist. Please click the link below to learn more about the referral process.
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