UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Magazine Winter 2018 | Page 16

clinical update
The advanced
HyperArc
treatment can be
completed within
The advanced HyperArc treatment can be
completed within a conventional treatment
timeslot, making it an efficient approach
compared to other radiosurgery techniques that
treat each target individually or separately and
take considerably longer.
a conventional
treatment
timeslot, making
it an efficient
approach
compared to other
radiosurgery
techniques that
treat each target
individually or
separately and
take considerably
Addressing Patient Safety
Patient safety was a central pillar in the
product design philosophy. “Fully automated
treatments present operational challenges because
of patient safety concerns,” says Dr. Popple.
“We address this challenge by using virtual
dry runs and collision avoidance systems
integrated into the treatment machine.”
Specifically calculated arcs and couch positions
are compatible with patients’ clearance to the
machine. Even the hardware that the patient
wears is digitally modeled in the treatment
planning system for safe delivery and ensuring
minimal patient movement.
longer.
Moving the Needle in Brain Surgery
Tumors in the brain are usually distributed
throughout the brain and can affect many basic
functions, making it one the most complex
of all surgeries. This technique provides an
alternative targeted approach when surgery might
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not be possible, or the tumor is located in a
compromising area.
“HyperArc treats all the patient’s tumors
at once, allowing for a more efficient and
comfortable radiosurgery procedure,” says
Bart Guthrie, M.D., professor in the UAB
Department of Neurosurgery. “Since we can
easily treat more than 10 tumors, more patients
will be able to avoid the cognitive side effects of
whole brain radiation therapy.”
“We are very excited about these first
treatments using HyperArc as we usher in a new
era of precision in radiotherapy and radiosurgery
for cancer patients,” says Dr. Fiveash. “Bottom
line, we want to be able to make high-quality
treatments available to more patients. We want to
capitalize on this technology because ultimately
it’s our patients who benefit from the most
advanced care possible.”