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Cancer Treatments Future with Proton Beam Therapy

Two of the most common cancer treatments on the market are the conventional forms of radiotherapy and chemotherapy but there are two other types that are making progress for more possibilities in the future called proton beam therapy and immunotherapy. Advancement in medical equipment that is becoming more readily available is making these options more of a reality for many patients seeking treatment. Proton beam therapy is like radiotherapy in which energy beams of particles are targeted on a patient in the area where the tumor is located but it differs by using protons instead of photons or x-rays. In current treatments, the use of the MR-Linac machines has been successfully able to locate the position of the tumor and increase the doses in treatment due to higher efficiency. Once the technology becomes available for proton beam therapy, healthcare is expecting to see a large decline of waiting times for treatments to be performed. Although it is expected to still take quite some time until this new treatment to be ready for the private healthcare and even public, when it is finally ready it gives great hopes for making cancer treatments easier, less costly, and more survivable.

To read more about proton beam therapy in a recent article, click here

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Consideration When Buying A Linear Accelerator

Purchasing a new Linear Accelerator can be a very costly investment that can range between $1 million and upwards to over $5 million. This cost alone is not the only expected fees associated with this equipment since delivery charges and secondary equipment such as a simulator, treatment planning computer, the treatment room itself, and the compensation for the radiographers/ physicist salaries. There is a lot of options to consider when replacing or installing new radiotherapy equipment and a few helpful tips below may help make the decision process a little simpler.

The Resale Value

Before purchasing any new or refurbished linear accelerator, it is important to ask yourself the question “How much will my Linac system be worth if choosing to replace or upgrade it in the future?” The answer to this may affect your company’s ability to purchase equipment in the future so the best way to solve this is by three other factors. First is obsolescence, this factor will greatly impact the long-term maintenance of any equipment. As parts continue to get older, replacement parts will become more and more difficult to locate for obsolete equipment. This also will make service personal harder to find as well since they will not be as familiar with repairs on older machines. Research the manufacturing company and choose one that has been in business for a decent amount of time, If you feel the company will not be around in the next ten years it will most likely not have very good resale value.

Re-licensing Fees

When shopping for a new linear accelerator, if a machine requires new relicensing it will become more costly to a buyer hence making it less attractive for purchase. Providing the license on the equipment will increase the demand which will, in turn, make it have a higher resale value as well. Company’s such as Varian and Elekta have always had higher resale value because of the licensing fees/ software and relocation charges being less than their competitors.

Technology Reimbursements

The centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services utilize reimbursement rates to entice clinicians to accept the use of new, proven treatment for the future. For example, several years ago when CMS code 77421 was released, image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) became widely accepted and hundreds of linear accelerators were upgraded, therefore. A linear accelerator that has the technology to benefit from higher reimbursement rates which certainly affect the price of a machine in the market of used equipment. Systems that use IMRT, IGRT, and CBCT technology will lead more than machines without these capabilities. The future can be a mystery when attempting to predict which technologies will be reimbursed in the following years but company’s such as Varian and Elekta have a long history of systems that have the possibility for upgrades which has helped them increase in value on used products.
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/.

China Tax Exempts Radiation Equimpent From US Trade

Great news has come for manufacturers Varian, Accuray, and Elekta this week when China added medical linear accelerators to a list of 16 items that are exempt from the trade war that is currently happening with the U.S. Both parties are continuing to negotiate terms this week. In the article president & CEO of Varian, Dow Wilson shows gratitude with statement “Varian envisions a world without fear of cancer and we are committed to empowering our users to achieve new victories against cancer with our cancer care solutions. The exemption allows us to continue to focus on the fight against cancer.” In July, the U.S exempted other categories of medical devices such as surgical, radiotherapy and dental from the 25% tariff applied to Chinese goods. The article concluded with the list of the 16 additional items that are exempt from the tariff tax as well. This recent decision will allow cancer treatment and other cancer solutions to continue to progress and save millions of lives in the near future.

Adaptive Radiation Therapy Could Be the Answer for Future Cancer Treatment

Throughout history dating back to the early 1970’s patients diagnosed with cancer would receive standard treatment plans that would simply be based off the type of cancer, the stage of aggression and if it was characterized by spreading to other locations or not. Cancer development teams quickly learned that this procedure was not an efficient process for treatment. A cancer cure is not a one size fits all and each patient is unique so why should their treatment be any different? One form of radiation treatment that is showing progress and good promise for the future is called adaptive therapy. This type of treatment takes a personalized approach where a patient’s unique characteristics are taken into consideration and adjustments are constantly being done based on information taken from images that are taken daily so factors like tumor size, shape, and location will be targeting more efficiently. On the downside, adaptive therapy has many obstacles that are needed to overcome before this treatment can be a successful option. In this article, it is discussed further on which steps will need to be taken for adaptive therapy to continue to progress to its potential. It may not a perfect treatment method currently, but it represents something bigger for the future of healthcare and personalized abilities.

What is Equipment Relocation?

Linear accelerators and CT simulators are large, that’s obvious. Any business who has obtained an accelerator understands the headache of moving such a large and delicate machine to their offices. When moving offices or simply needing to move an accelerator from one place to another there are companies that have staff on hand who are specialized in moving this equipment so you the business owner do not have to worry about how it’s going to get done. These companies offer a range of services related to accelerator relocation so there should be a service to fit any needs a business may have.

Quality Moving

The companies that specialize in moving large equipment are specialized because of the talent on hand. These employees are specially trained to handle large equipment moving with ease and delicacy that these machines require and can do so with advanced logistics that other companies do not possess. With these logistics intact these companies can ensure your equipment is free from damage of any kind during the moving process and can move the equipment over a small area to even internationally. You’ve no-doubt seen videos of unqualified employees attempting to move large equipment and failing miserably causing thousands of dollars of damage to the company, so it pays tremendously to hire a professional relocation company that can handle the move in a professional and careful manner.

Installation         

Simply moving equipment is great, but what about those who need it and moved as well as installed in their offices? Equipment relocation isn’t just moving equipment from one place to another but also making sure the instrument is properly installed using the correct tools for the job. The machines usually involved in relocation such as linear accelerators are simply impossible to move on your own, so the crews at these relocation companies are able to use specific rigging materials to make sure the equipment is lifted and moved to right where it needs to be as carefully as can be. The process of installing the electrical components of these instruments is also handled by professional and experienced engineering specialist who can handle the job with the proper care and respect.

Testing

Once an instrument like a linear accelerator is moved to a new location and properly installed in the right spot in the office it still requires careful calibration before it can be used properly. The companies that supply relocation services also provide physics support related to calibration and testing. This completes the full suite of process and steps necessary when transporting a large instrument like a linear accelerator from one office to another and is a full suite that certain relocation companies can offer.

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/.