Treatment FAQ

what is true beam cancer treatment

by Brielle Murazik Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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TrueBeam is an advanced radiotherapy system that opens up treatment options for some of the most complex cancers in the head and neck, lung, prostate, breast, abdomen and liver. The TrueBeam system's advanced imaging and powerful treatment modes allow doctors to tailor treatments specific to your particular cancer.

What is TrueBeam cancer treatment?

The TrueBeam technology is also operating in the Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion’s Radiation Oncology Center - Hilton Head/Bluffton. Along with the quicker treatment times it allows the ability to perform a type of CT-scan, known as the cone beam, before treatment begins.

What is beam chemotherapy?

BEAM is the name of a combination of chemotherapy drugs that includes: It is a treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma . You usually have BEAM chemotherapy a week before a stem cell transplant.

What are the benefits of TrueBeam radiotherapy?

The TrueBeam system can generate three-dimensional images used to fine-tune tumor targeting. These images can be used to fine-tune a patient’s position before and during treatment. TrueBeam radiotherapy is not appropriate for all cancers. Serious side effects, including fatigue and skin irritation, can occur.

What is TrueBeam imaging technology?

TrueBeam imaging technology can produce the three-dimensional images used to fine-tune tumor targeting in 60% less time than previous Varian imaging technology. Additional functionality makes it possible to create images using 25% less X-ray dose. These images are used to fine-tune a patient’s position prior to and during the treatment process.

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What is the difference between CyberKnife and TrueBeam?

TrueBeam's onboard scanning systems help the machine correct for any movement as it tracks the tumor cells, even as the patient breathes. CyberKnife offers a similar arrangement, but with treatment times up to two hours due to the low energy photon used.

What does a TrueBeam do?

The TrueBeam ™ system is an advanced radiotherapy system from Varian Medical Systems. It was engineered from the ground up to deliver more powerful cancer treatments with pinpoint accuracy and precision.

How much does a TrueBeam cost?

St. Elizabeth Healthcare has enhanced its cancer treatment services in Fort Thomas with the addition of a TrueBeam Radiotherapy System, a linear accelerator made by Varian Medical Systems that cost nearly $4 million.

Is TrueBeam a SBRT?

The TrueBeam™ STx with Novalis Radiosurgery can deliver 3D IMRT, Rapid Arc, and both micro-MLC and cone based SRS/SBRT treatments.

What type of radiation is TrueBeam?

TrueBeam uses a cone-beam CT that uses 25 percent less of an X-ray dose than other image-guided technologies, exposing patients to less radiation.

Is TrueBeam an IMRT?

TrueBeam can deliver a variety of advanced radiation treatments, including image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and RapidArc radiotherapy.

What foods should I avoid during radiation?

Avoid raw vegetables and fruits, and other hard, dry foods such as chips or pretzels. It's also best to avoid salty, spicy or acidic foods if you are experiencing these symptoms. Your care team can recommend nutrient-based oral care solutions if you are experiencing mucositis or mouth sores caused by cancer treatment.

What is the success rate for radiation therapy?

“In fact, based on the literature reviewed, it appears that external-beam radiation therapy is a superior treatment in some cases. “When patients are treated with modern external-beam radiation therapy, the overall cure rate was 93.3% with a metastasis-free survival rate at 5 years of 96.9%.

How long does it take to recover from radiation fatigue?

Radiation can give you fatigue that gets worse over time (called cumulative fatigue). It usually lasts 3 to 4 weeks after your treatment stops, but it can continue for up to 3 months.

What is the difference between radiation and CyberKnife?

Cyberknife Is More Accurate Than Traditional Radiation Therapy. Because it's able to target diseased tissue, Cyberknife SBRT is much more accurate than traditional radiation therapy. SBRT can deliver radiation to a margin of one to five millimeters surrounding a tumor.

Is proton therapy better than CyberKnife?

A growing body of evidence from clinical studies using CyberKnife hypofractionated radiation treatments (high dose in five treatments) shows that CyberKnife provides more effective treatment compared to the proton beam's conventional lower dose fractionation treatment.

Is CyberKnife better than surgery?

In many clinical situations, CyberKnife has local control and effectiveness that is equivalent to surgery. However, due to its non-invasive nature, the risk of side effects is significantly lower with CyberKnife. 2. Real-time tumor tracking results in less radiation to the nearby normal tissues.

TrueBeam Cancer Treatment at UCLA

The new TrueBeam™ system from Varian Medical Systems is an advanced radiotherapy technology for treating cancer.

How does it work?

TrueBeam combines imaging, beam delivery and sophisticated motion management to accurately and precisely target tumors with speed.

Here are some quick facts

TrueBeam rotates around the patient to deliver a prescribed radiation dose from nearly any angle.

What is true beam radiotherapy?

TrueBeam radiotherapy is used to target cancer in sensitive areas like the brain, spine, liver, prostate, lungs and gastrointestinal tumors. It may be used alone but often is combined with other cancer treatments, such as standard chemotherapy.

What is a true beam?

The TrueBeam™ hybrid linear accelerator system is one of the most advanced and latest technologies available for pinpoint radiation therapy. Using various image guidance systems, the TrueBeam is remarkably one of the most complex and precise pieces of medical equipment used anywhere. Based on a digital platform, TrueBeam can modulate the radiation beam, dynamically destroying tumors while avoiding surrounding normal structures.

How long do the side effects of TrueBeam last?

Side effects of TrueBeam include: Most side effects usually go away after treatment ends. However, you may feel very tired for four to six weeks after your last treatment.

Why do we have multiple locations for radiation therapy?

Because convenience is a priority, we offer multiple locations for radiation therapy to enable you to obtain treatment near where you live or work.

Where is the Department of Radiation Medicine located?

The Department of Radiation Medicine offers a wide range of safe, effective and compassionate radiation therapy options for adults and children at locations across Long Island, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and Westchester.

Is Truebeam an outpatient procedure?

Because TrueBeam is an outpatient procedure, you will be observed for a period of time and then discharged home. You will not likely have a great amount of pain from the procedure. Over-the-counter medications, such as Tylenol or Motrin, can alleviate any discomfort.

Is Truebeam radiotherapy happening?

Advances in TrueBeam radiotherapy are continuously happening at Northwell Cancer Institute. With innovations in radiotherapy technology and techniques, we continue to improve outcomes. Through our alliance with leading research organization Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, we participate in investigator-initiated trials to offer the most leading-edge, research-backed therapies to patients.

TrueBeam

Deliver precise dosage quickly and give patients their time back—the TrueBeam® radiotherapy system is built with human needs in mind. Designed to treat cancer wherever it’s found in the body, it’s flexible enough to meet your clinical needs as well.

High-precision cancer treatment

User-centered design makes it easier to perform treatment—and let you focus more energy on your patients.

Complementing TrueBeam

TrueBeam works well with a variety of treatment planning software and other tools. Integrate it with these components to make the most of the Varian ecosystem.

Innovative and versatile treatment

The TrueBeam radiotherapy system offers flexible, high-precision treatment options for a broad range of patient needs. Deliver IMRT, SBRT, and VMAT with ease and confidence.

Similar products

Halcyon™ system gives you the fast and high-quality treatments you want—and the comfort and convenience your patients need—to win the fight against cancer.

What is a true beam system?

What is the Varian TrueBeam system?#N#The TrueBeam ™ system is an advanced radiotherapy system from Varian Medical Systems. It was engineered from the ground up to deliver more powerful cancer treatments with pinpoint accuracy and precision. It uniquely integrates advanced imaging and motion management technologies within a sophisticated new architecture that makes it possible to deliver treatments more quickly while monitoring and compensating for tumor motion, opening the door to new possibilities for the treatment of lung, breast, prostate, head and neck, as well as other cancers.

How accurate is TrueBeam?

The precision of the TrueBeam system is measured in increments of less than a millimeter. This accuracy is made possible by the system’s sophisticated architecture, which synchronizes imaging, patient positioning, motion management, beam shaping and dose delivery, performing accuracy checks every ten milliseconds throughout the entire treatment. TrueBeam imaging technology can produce the three-dimensional images used to fine-tune tumor targeting in 60% less time than previous Varian imaging technology. Additional functionality makes it possible to create images using 25% less X-ray dose. These images are used to fine-tune a patient’s position prior to and during the treatment process.

How fast is TrueBeam?

Also, TrueBeam is fast. Simple treatments that once took 10 to 30 minutes can now be completed in less than two minutes.

How fast does Truebeam work?

TrueBeam’s powerful technology and pinpoint accuracy makes it possible to deliver fast, precise image-guided treatments in just a few minutes a day.

Can a tumor move as you breathe?

In many cases, tumors can move as your breathe. The TrueBeam system offers a new “respiratory gating” option that synchronizes beam delivery with respiration. This helps maintain accuracy, as the system synchronizes its targeting whenever tumor motion is an issue, for example during lung cancer treatments.

What is external beam radiation?

External beam radiation therapy comes from a machine that aims radiation at your cancer. It is a local treatment, which means it treats a specific part of your body. For example, if you have cancer in your lung, you will have radiation only to your chest, not to your whole body.

How to do radiation therapy?

If you decide to have external beam radiation therapy, you will be scheduled for a treatment planning session called a simulation. At this time: 1 A radiation oncologist (a doctor who specializes in using radiation to treat cancer) and radiation therapist will figure out your treatment area. You may also hear the treatment area referred to as the treatment port or treatment field. These terms refer to the places in your body that will get radiation. You will be asked to lie very still while x-rays or scans are taken. 2 The radiation therapist will tattoo or draw small dots of colored ink on your skin to mark the treatment area. These dots will be needed throughout your course of radiation therapy. The radiation therapist will use them to make sure you are in exactly the same position for every treatment. The dots are about the size of a freckle. If the dots are tattooed, they will remain on your skin for the rest of your life. Ink markings will fade over time. Be careful not to remove them and tell the radiation therapist if they fade or lose color. 3 A body mold may be made of the part of the body that is being treated. This is a plastic or plaster form that keeps you from moving during treatment. It also helps make sure that you are in exactly the same position for each treatment

How do proton beams work?

Protons are particles with a positive charge. Like photon beams, proton beams can also reach tumors deep in the body. However, proton beams do not scatter radiation on their path through the body and they stop once they reach the tumor. Doctors think that proton beams might reduce the amount of normal tissue that is exposed to radiation. Clinical trials are underway to compare radiation therapy using proton beams with that using photons beams. Some cancer centers are using proton beams in radiation therapy, but the high cost and size of the machines are limiting their use.

What is 3D radiation?

3-D conformal radiation therapy is a common type of external beam radiation therapy. It uses images from CT, MRI, and PET scans to precisely plan the treatment area, a process called simulation. A computer program is used to analyze the images and to design radiation beams that conform to the shape of the tumor.

What type of radiation is used in x-rays?

Most radiation therapy machines use photon beams. Photons are also used in x-rays, but x-rays use lower doses. Photon beams can reach tumors deep in the body. As they travel through the body, photon beams scatter little bits of radiation along their path.

What is the name of the doctor who treats cancer?

A radiation oncologist (a doctor who specializes in using radiation to treat cancer) and radiation therapist will figure out your treatment area. You may also hear the treatment area referred to as the treatment port or treatment field. These terms refer to the places in your body that will get radiation.

What is a mask for cancer?

This is a plastic or plaster form that keeps you from moving during treatment. It also helps make sure that you are in exactly the same position for each treatment. A mask fitted to your face helps make sure that you are in exactly the same position for each treatment. Credit: National Cancer Institute.

What is a BEAM?

BEAM is the name of a combination of chemotherapy drugs that includes: It is a treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma . You usually have BEAM chemotherapy a week before a stem cell transplant.

When do you have to have a beam before a stem cell transplant?

You have BEAM just before you have a stem cell transplant. Doctors call the first day of BEAM treatment minus 6. They then count down to the day you have the stem cells which is called day 0.

What does chemo destroy?

These chemotherapy drugs destroy quickly dividing cells, such as cancer cells as well as healthy cells from your bone marrow.

What is TrueBeam imaging?

TrueBeam combines imaging, beam delivery, and sophisticated motion management to accurately and precisely target tumors with speed.

What is the purpose of TrueBeam?

The TrueBeam system can generate three-dimensional images used to fine-tune tumor targeting. These images can be used to fine-tune a patient’s position before and during treatment.

How long does it take to get a true beam?

Treatments with TrueBeam are fast, allowing for reduced chances of tumor motion during treatment, which helps protect nearby healthy tissue and critical organs. Most can be given in just minutes a day. Treatments that once took 10 to 30 minutes can now be completed in less than two minutes.

What is external beam radiation?

External Beam Radiation Therapy (TrueBeam) TrueBeam is an advanced radiotherapy system that opens up treatment options for some of the most complex cancers in the head and neck, lung, prostate, breast, abdomen and liver.

Does TrueBeam play music?

It’s almost as if they are there in the treatment room with you. And as part of this enhancement, TrueBeam has feature that play music during treatment. With shorter treatment times and quieter operation, TrueBeam provides for a more comfortable environment for patients.

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