Radiotherapy Techniques

Involves using static radiation beams delivered from different angles, allowing us to conform closely to the shape of a tumour, while sparing the healthy surrounding tissue.

This is a type of conformal radiotherapy that uses a series of small beams that can vary in strength. IMRT allows radiation to be delivered in a way that reduces dose to important structures within the body and can be used to treat a variety of cancers.

Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) or RapidArc® is one of the most technically advanced radiation treatments available in the world. The machine moves around the patient and the field size changes and varies in strength whilst the treatment is being delivered. RapidArc can be delivered in a significantly shorter time than IMRT, resulting in shorter treatment times for patients. At the Andrew Love Cancer Centre, RapidArc is routinely used to treat prostate, oesophagus, anal and rectal cancers and tumours in the head and neck region. RapidArc can also be used to effectively treat a range of other malignancies in different sites of the body for both radical and palliative patients.

This technology was made possible at the Andrew Love Cancer Centre by funds raised by the Cancer After Care Group.

Image-guided radiotherapy uses x-rays and scans similar to CT scans before, after and/or during your radiotherapy treatment. Specialized computer software compares these images to the images taken during the simulation used to establish the treatment plan. Necessary adjustments can then be made to your position to more precisely target radiation at the cancer and avoid the healthy surrounding tissue. Image guidance is routinely used on patients treated at the Andrew Love Cancer Centre, and ensures accuracy to the millimetre.

The CT Simulator has a large opening to enable images to be captured in a variety of treatment positions. It also gathers information on the position and tissue density of your organs enabling the team to create tailor-made radiation dose plans. The CT Simulator at the Andrew Love Cancer Centre can also capture images at every stage of your breathing cycle if required, enabling clinicians to reliably compensate for breathing, increasing treatment delivery accuracy and clinical confidence.

Electron beam therapy is used in the treatment of superficial tumours like skin cancers and can also be used to boost the radiation dose to the surgical bed in breast cancer patients.

Superficial Radiotherapy can be used for the treatment of most malignant skin cancers, and some non-malignant conditions such as keloid scarring. The machine utilises low-energy x-rays which are focussed on the area to be treated. Due to its low energy, the x-ray beam energy only penetrates the top surface layer of the skin, thereby avoiding irradiation of deeper tissues. By avoiding treatment of the deeper tissues, scarring is reduced which is particularly important when treating areas around and near the face.

Superficial radiotherapy has a cure rate equal to surgery, and is often the treatment of choice when surgery is difficult or not suitable due to other medical conditions.

The superficial machine, generously donated by the Geelong Cancer After Care Group, became clinical on 17 August 2015.

Our Varian TrueBeam Linear Accelerator is able to offer SBRT/SRS and is one of the most advanced systems available in the world. High doses of radiation can be delivered safely and accurately in a shorter time frame than traditional treatments. Although SBRT/SRS is not suitable for all patients, it can be particularly useful for small, well defined tumours that cannot be removed surgically or treated with conventional radiotherapy. SBRT can be used in the treatment of lung, brain, liver, kidney, spine or pelvis.