Madrid has the first Simulator in the world of virtual surgery for cancer that plans and predicted effects of radiotherapy.

-Anticipated how to manipulate and expose the tissues as if the patient were actually operated, but without receiving radiation

-through 3D image simulates the behavior of the organs of the patient in a process of oncological surgery

– is a more secure and reliable method, increases accuracy and efficiency of the radiation in the operation

-El Hospital Gregorio Marañón is a center of international reference in intraoperative radiotherapy

Madrid, January 2012.- the Minister of health, Javier Fenández-Lasquetty, presented the past Wednesday 11 first Simulator in the world of virtual surgery for cancer that plans and predicts the effects of radiation therapy, and that has been installed at the hospital Universitario Gregorio Marañón, belonging to the public network of hospitals in the region.

Researchers from the departments of Oncology and medicine and Experimental surgery of this hospital centre have designed, developed and put into operation the first Simulator, browser and dosimeter Planner in the world capable of preplanificar decisions of surgical intervention and the effects of radiation therapy applied to the patient in surgerybefore it is actually operated and without receiving any dose of radiation.

This system of virtual navigation, which has already enabled the evaluation of more than 70 patients, can simulate the behavior of the organs of the patient in a process of oncological surgery. From the images of two dimensions of a scanner generated a 3D visualization which gives all the information necessary so the oncologist and surgeon planned brachy and surgical procedure rather than a patient gets no radiation dosewhich helps to improve their quality of life.

This work of preplanificación allows surgeons and oncologists to enter in the operating room with many of the decisions previously evaluated and agreed on the intervention of the patient, making the surgical process more secure, more reliable and more predictable.

The representation of three-dimensional anatomical rebuilt in navigation from the scanner system, simulates the anatomical framework of operative access and placed on the patient of an applicator which serves to drive the beam of radiation on the tumor as if you were really involved.

In this way it is possible to know the dose that would receive any tissue, skin, bone, muscle, intestine and bladder, or if there is some risk added to the knitted normal unprotected by displacement during the operation, given that the radiation is applied to the cm of depth to the specialist determines and slows suddenlyby which only crosses the thickness of tissues default patient.

Pioneers in intraoperative radiotherapy by laparoscopy intraoperative radiotherapy during laparoscopic surgery is a treatment guided surgery which allows to increase the given level of precision in the irradiation of tumors that allows protect healthy tissue next to the area to radiate. The laparoscopic process minimizes surgical stress in the cancer patient.

In addition, another advantage of this procedure is that all intra-abdominal tumors can potentially receive this treatment, while rectal cancer and sarcomas are those who have sought greater proportion and with very positive results. Also, this procedure will allow shorten the treatment time thanks to the use of unique and high dose on a very well defined tumor point, protecting healthy tissue through systems of image guided in real time. Intraoperative radiotherapy laparoscopic does not compete, but complements and provides access over early chemotherapy and biological drugs.

Radioquirúrgica of the Gregorio Maranon hospital experience, with over a thousand real cases of intraoperative radiotherapy in the last fifteen years, is the largest and most extensive in Europe, which refers this health centre of the community of Madrid nationally and internationally in this type of approachin which up to 30% of patients come from hospitals in all points of Spain, making around 100 annual procedures since 1995.

A multidisciplinary team of the Gregorio Marañón, composed by radiation oncologists, surgeons, anaesthetists, physicists, technicians and nurses, is the first and only Spain on implementing intraoperative radiotherapy in any abdominal surgery, of which 50 cases with satisfactory results in cancer of rectum with laparoscopic approach has already been made.

Reduction in speaking time

With this system, there are obvious advantages for the patient: reduces the duration of the intervention and the biological impact of postoperative, passing between four and seven days to 48 hours, to be carried by surgery less invasive. In early breast cancer brachy therapy, rather than last for six to eight weeks in the case of a conventional treatment, with intraoperative radiotherapy may become surgical intervention and brachy therapy in just 24 hours.

Dosimétrica navigation in virtual surgery for intraoperative radiotherapy system is the result of a joint project by several years of technological research between the departments of Oncology and medicine and surgery hospital Gregorio Marañón and a technology partner as GMV Experimental – company born in Madrid -, and involving five universities and six Spanish hospitals, among which is the also Madrid hospital Ramón y Cajal.

This cooperative research project has been funded by the grant of public and competitive research projects, and it has generated a patent with the certification of CE mark, which authorizes its marketing in all the States members of the European Union.