External Radiotherapy: Beating Cancer with Radiation

One of the most popular options in treating cancerous tumors is with the use of external radiotherapy.  There are several types of external radiotherapy options for doctors to choose from when treating each unique patient needs with the overall principal of the therapy being the same.  Radiation is delivered to the source of the cancer using a high-powered beam.

Linear accelerators are one type of machine that can deliver radiation to the source without causing severe damage to the healthy tissues surrounding the area. External radiotherapy is used to destroy cancerous cells and is administer by LINAC systems that deliver high energy x-ray beams known as photon beams.  Other systems deliver radiotherapy through particle beams, such as protons and electrons.  The principle is similar in both as the beam of radiation is aimed at an internal cancer source as treatment.

The DNA in cancerous cells is damaged through external radiotherapy.  DNA is either damaged directly or through particles called free radicals that damage them. This keeps the cancerous cells from growing or kills.  When the cells die they are broken down by the body and removed as waste.  Normal healthy cells surrounding the cancerous tumor are damaged slightly however they can usually repair themselves over time.

Treatment is not started until you have spoken to your doctor about possible short- and long-term side effects.  Most often side effects can be controlled with medication and are temporary.  The treatment is planned based off of the images that have been taken of the cancer via x-ray, CT scans, MRI’s, and/or PET scans.  The plan will ensure a higher dose of treatment to the cancerous tumor.  Treatment is given in the radiotherapy department of the hospital.  Machines in the radiotherapy department such as linear accelerators, are very big and can be a bit scary.

LINAC machines use electricity to create the beams of radiation that are delivered to the cancer.  During treatment the machine never actually touches you and nothing is felt during treatment.  There may be some side effects of discomfort and pain that can be managed with medication.  For the treatment to work well, the radiotherapy needs to cover all of the cancer and the border around it using the lowest dose possible to reduce any side effects.
When choosing the treatment that you will need your radiotherapy doctor will consider the following:

• The type of cancer you have
• The position of the cancer within your body
• Treatments that you have had in the past, are currently having, and that are planned
• Your general wellness, health, and fitness levels

Your external radiotherapy treatment is individualized to each and every patient.
The entire course of treatment can last anywhere between one to six weeks but can be longer.  This is determined by your doctor and how well you are responding to treatment.  The treatment that is put in place will be based on a personal routine that you can easily follow.

As an independent LINAC service company, Acceletronics is dedicated to delivering the best equipment performance and services for linear accelerators and CT scanners across all major brands and models, as well as new and refurbished LINAC systems for sale.  More information can be found online at https://www.acceletronics.com/.

Treating Cancer with External Beam Radiation

There are several treatment options available when it comes to cancer treatment, one of the most common being external beam radiation therapy.  In external beam radiation a beam, or many beams, of radiation are shot through a person’s skin onto the cancerous tumor destroying the tumor and nearby cells of cancer.   To reduce the consequences of treatment it is usually given Monday through Friday, five days a week for several weeks.  This gives patients enough radiation to shrink and kill off the cancerous tumors while allowing healthy cells to restore themselves.

The beam of radiation that moves through the skin and targets the cancerous tumor is delivered through a machine known as a linear accelerator, also known as a LINAC.  A linear accelerator produces high-energy x-rays which treat the cancer.  This treatment option is done using computers and specialized software to create a treatment plan.  This plan will control the shape and size of the radiation beam as well as how it will enter your body to treat the tumor while pardoning the normal tissue.

Different types of cancer require specialized delivery of radiation using external radiation therapy.  In this installment on external beam radiation we will discuss several methods of delivery.

3-D CRT: Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy

No two tumors are the same shape or size.  No two patients’ bodies are the same either. 3-D CRT uses advancements in technology like CT, PET, or MR scans to display the tumors size, shape, and location relevant to the surrounding organs.  This allows the radiation oncologist to tailor the beams of radiation with special shielding options to your exact tumor.  The more targeted treatment ensures that less of the surrounding healthy tissues receive the harmful radiation.

IMRT: Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy

IMRT, is a specialized from of 3-D CRT that shapes radiation to cover only the tumor sparing healthy, normal tissue surrounding the cancerous tumor.   In IMRT, the beams of radiation are broken down into several smaller beams with each beam’s intensity being able to be adjusted individually.  This allows the beam’s closer to the healthy tissue to deliver less intense radiation without decreasing the radiation delivered to the tumor.

IGRT: Image Guided Radiation Therapy

Image guided radiation therapy uses conformal radiation treatment that is guided by images from a CT, ultrasound, or x-rays taken right before treatment.  Since tumors can move between treatments, IGRT offers more targeted treatments as the images are taken right before treatment is given.  Your team of oncologists will confer the images between treatments to adjust the treatment that is needed.  Sometimes in IGRT doctors will place a marker in or near the tumor to help localize the treatment.  IGRT is another option in radiation treatment that allows for precise targeting of cancerous cells, protecting the healthy cells.

As an independent LINAC service company, Acceletronics is dedicated to delivering the best equipment performance and services for linear accelerators and CT scanners across all major brands and models, as well as new and refurbished LINAC systems for sale.  More information can be found online at https://www.acceletronics.com/.

When it comes to receiving treatment, both in patient and out-patient, our safety is always a concern.  Whether a family member, friend, or even oneself is receiving care it is crucial that safety as a patient is of utmost concern for the facility where we are seeking treatment.  Accidents that occur within a facility whether they are minor, like slipping in the bathroom or major an error in medication received, cost billions of dollars per year.  The harm that is caused by ineffective patient safety measures don’t just affect the facility and patient, caregivers can also be scarred emotionally.

Patient care and safety is just one of the many reasons it is important to design your medical facility in such a manner that is basically fool proof.  You will see this demonstrated in a million different ways throughout the facility including:

 

Standardized patient and treatment rooms:

When rooms throughout the facility are designed in the same manner throughout it helps to prevent errors from occurring.  Rooms are set up in a manner that considers the predominance of right-handed professionals and patients.  This helps to ensure that the room is set up in the most efficient manner possible for the greatest good.

Standardized facilities take the guess work out of patient treatment and therefore help to ensure the best possible outcome in patient care.   Efficiency within the medical facility allows for a precise, standardized approach that allows treatment to be done quickly and safely.  Familiarity within the space, knowing where you can find what you need when you need it within a familiar environment that keeps patients safe and the work flow moving along competently.  When variation is removed all the guess work is taken out of the equation and thus error in treatment.

This is especially necessary when specialized treatment is sought.  Radiation oncology departments are just one of the many departments within a hospital that use a standardized approach in treatment room layout.  Radiation is an intense option in treating cancer using several large scaled devices like linear accelerators and CT scanners to find and treat cancerous tumors.

Although each patient’s treatment is unique the way it is received is not.  Simplifying the routine elements allows doctors and nurses to focus on the specific requirements of each patient.  Physicians can concentrate on patient information, dosing information, and the physical care of the patient over being concerned on where to find basic supplies.

Basic Principles To Promote Patient Safety:

As stated by author, John Reiling in Safe by Design: Designing Safety in Health Care Facilities, Process, and Culture, facilities must follow basic principles to promote patient safety.  This includes:

• Being Patient Centered
• Environmentally Conducive
• Resourceful/Efficient
• Safe
• Superior Care
• Advanced Technology
• Knowledgeable and Approachable Staff

As an independent LINAC service company, Acceletronics is dedicated to delivering the best equipment performance and services for linear accelerators and CT scanners across all major brands and models, as well as new and refurbished LINAC systems for sale.  More information can be found online at https://www.acceletronics.com/.

Predictive Maintenance: A Strong Strategy for The Longevity of LINAC Systems

If you are responsible for the operation of the linear accelerator equipment at your facility than you already know that to keep the machine running as accurately as possible it has to be maintained properly. Whether you are talking about some scheduled outage so that you can run all the necessary tests, do diagnostic and replace parts that have shown that they are in need of replacement before they go out.

Establishing a good Predictive Maintenance Schedule

One of the best ways to ensure that your Linear Accelerator equipment will be ready to go if it is necessary to be used for treating a patient. One of the ways to ensure that your equipment is running properly is to be sure that all the linear accelerator components are running correctly. Having a good maintenance schedule requires you to have linear accelerator replacements parts to be able to complete certain types of maintenance.

Benefits of Predictive Maintenance

Dramatically reduce equipment downtime - By being able to identify potential problems before they rise to the level of affecting the proper operation of the linear accelerator equipment. This makes it highly likely that your machine will be available when the need arises for the machine. This also means that you can make plans to have specific linear accelerator replacements parts on hand when they would be needed to be replaced.

Diagnostic equipment is considerably cheaper - The latest technology being used in today's diagnostic equipment and the software that they use to run are cheaper to acquire and this makes them considerably cheaper to use.  When you have the right equipment to do the job, you are far more likely to be able to keep your equipment running properly.

It can be used effectively for any size company - The linear accelerator equipment typically uses sensors that make it possible to check the proper operation of the machine. However, this does not offer real-time data, so it is not the most effective method. This is where the diagnostic equipment used in predictive maintenance is far more effective. This makes it possible for more companies to be able to use predictive maintenance, even if they are a smaller size company.

Real-time data makes catching potential problems much more likely - When it comes to detecting potential issues having real-time data is the best way to. This is one of biggest advantages to having the diagnostic equipment in the hands of your maintenance personnel to be able to schedule them to proactively check all the components of the machine to ensure that they are working properly.

It is the most proactive form of equipment maintenance - There are three distinct forms of equipment maintenance that a company can use to keep its equipment running and reducing downtime. The three types of maintenance are reactive, preventative and proactive maintenance. Each one has its own set of advantages and disadvantages when it comes to which one is the better however when patient care is the most important factor, as it in the treatment of cancer, predictive maintenance allows planned downtime instead of emergent care.

As an independent LINAC service company, Acceletronics is dedicated to delivering the best equipment performance and services for linear accelerators and CT scanners across all major brands and models, as well as new and refurbished LINAC systems for sale.  More information can be found online at https://www.acceletronics.com/.