Continuous imaging system tracked radiation delivery in liver cancer patient

A patient with liver cancer at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center recently received novel MRI-guided radiation therapy, marking the first time the institution has used the technology to treat cancer, according to a news release.

The MRIdian system (ViewRay) provides continuous imaging during treatment and enables clinicians to see in real-time where radiation is being delivered and any movements within the patient’s anatomy. “The system tracks soft tissues of the tumor directly, in fast planar images, then automatically compares the target to the plan and only allows treatment when the target is in range,” the release stated.

ViewRay said it is the only radiation therapy system of its kind, and Carbone Cancer Center is the second clinical group in the world to treat patients with it.

“The size and location of this patient’s liver tumor combined with the large observable motion prevented the safe delivery of treatment with X-ray-based linac systems,” Michael Bassetti, MD, PhD, assistant professor of radiation oncology at Carbone, said in the release. “With ViewRay’s MRIdian system, we were able to ensure the accuracy of the delivery by directly tracking tumor and normal soft-tissue movement.”

The patient was treated with the system’s soft-tissue tracking beam that employed a 5 mm margin on a breath-hold scan taken by the device, according to the release.

“Continual MR image-guidance and control is unique to the MRIdian system with the potential to change the way clinicians treat cancer patients,” Paul Harari, MD, professor and chairman of the department of human oncology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, said in the release.