Towards personalized radiotherapy.

-Specialists in all Spain met for the first time to review clinical experience in radiation therapy helical TomoTherapy real-time image-guided

Madrid, February of 2012.- the theoretical course – practical radiation therapy helical guided Imaging in Real time, TOMOTHERAPY which carries out in the center of formation of the Foundation group IMO these daysHe has addressed the main indications in which currently applies this high-tech. This course is part of the III International Master in advanced technological applications in radiation oncology in which collaborate the University of Murcia and the Foundation for training and health research in the region of Murcia (FFIS). In this meeting are present specialists of all Spain that meet for the first time to revise the clinical experience in the novel technique of the TomoTherapy.

One of the specialists of the IMO group and Rapporteur in this course Dr. Fernando Puebla, brachy oncologist in the miraculous Madrid clinic TomoTherapy unit has submitted a study followed for 15 months on Friday in a sample of 42 patients presenting with oligometastásicai.e. metastasis limited in number and location. Most of them had colo-rectal primary tumor with liver or lung metastases. In conclusion, the TomoTherapy demonstrated to be a technique effective, safe and feasible in this type of pathologies. And in this regard the Dr. Puebla Notes, while it is remarkable that the TomoTherapy allows to increase local control of the disease oligometastásica with the consequent benefit in overall survival will be necessary to assess next studies the integration of the TomoTherapy with systemic treatments of chemotherapy and endocrine therapy ”.

the Dres. Lartigau and Puebla.

Since 2006 the IMO group, in a way pioneer in our country, incorporate this new technique, he achieved greater efficiency and precision therapeutic in the treatment of cancer pushing a spectacular progress in high technology in oncology. Currently, only the IMO group has treated with radiotherapy Helicoidal guided Imaging in Real time, TOMOTHERAPY 1,250 patients of various pathologies such as cancer of the breast, prostate, paediatric tumours, nervous system, primary, lung, head and neck, gynecological pelvic tumors, liver metastasesbone, brain and ganglion. Also has been re – radiation and irradiation simultaneously in various locations. A long clinical history that has become common during this course with experiences of other specialists in new developments and innovative projects in helical TomoTherapy real-time image-guided radiotherapy. Dr. Puebla ensures that the radiotherapy Helicoidal guided Imaging in Real time, TOMOTHERAPY, ” contributes to the increase in survival with very acceptable side effects for the patient and on the other hand, allows the realization of adaptive radiation therapy that has great potential especially in the tumoral pathology of head and neck ”.

Opportunities clinics of the TomoTherapy

In France, specialists such as Dr. Eric Lartigau, co-director and head of Dept. radiotherapy of the Centre Oscar Lambret in Lille, present in this course, said that a recent pilot study published in its country shows that the TomoTherapy in patients over 70 years is better tolerated than other conventional radiotherapy techniques. And concludes that one out of three women with Gynecologic Cancer subject to conventional radiotherapy treatments may not finish treatment due to complications that carries mainly to digestive level. On the other hand, if applies TomoTherapy, 100% of the patients tolerated perfectly treatments ”.

Dr. Lartigau announced that it is carrying out a study randomized with a sample of women with over 70 years of uterus cancer and that is going to apply treatment with TomoTherapy. In this regard, indicated that this technology linking the IMRT and IGRT the enables control of the tumor and its location during the process of treatment, i.e., we know what we are dealing with, how we are trying to and how to protect healthy tissue, … the great advantage of this advanced technology ”.

Future

One of the conclusions of this meeting, which has brought together specialists from all Spain and the world, has been that the future of this medical specialty will allow that radiation therapy treatments with advanced technology are custom throughout the process of brachy therapy. Dr. Lartigau asserts that this advanced technology allows specialists to customize each one of the moments of the process of treatment, in such a way that you can change the initial planning in accordance with the findings or results obtained so far ”.

at this time, our country has only five teams administering radiotherapy Helicoidal guided by image in time Real TOMOTHERAPY, and that are located in the Clinical Hospital of Salamanca, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro in Madrid, the Oncology Institute of Sebastian and another two in the TomoTherapy unit that the IMO group has in the miraculous the clinic in Madrid. The second team of the IMO group, which came into operation in April 2010, has a novel application, the Tomo-Direct system, which prevents the maximum risk of lung or heart involvement in the treatment of breast cancer.

Cost – efficiency of high-tech cancer

at this meeting, as well as the review of clinical experience in the treatment of high-tech in Spain and in other European countries and Latin America will be debated on the cost – benefit of the use of advanced technologies in cancer teams. At the round table relationship cost – benefit of the advanced technologies, moderated by the Director General of hospitals of the community of Madrid, D. Antonio Burgess and the President of the Spanish society of radiation oncology – Lord, Dr. Alfredo Ramos, and which also intervene Prof. Felipe A. CalvoScientific director of the international master in advanced technological applications in radiation oncology analyzes and evaluates the current situation in the current socio-economic scene.

what is treatment with TomoTherapy?

The TomoTherapy is a novel technique for image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) real time which adjust the radiation to the shape of the tumor through a system for obtaining image by Computerizada Axial Tomography (TAC) and a linear accelerator that combines in a team that turn of helical shape 360 degrees around the patient.

A technique that allows scalar radiation dose, managing her at higher doses in the tumoral lesion and at lower doses in the healthy tissues adjacent to the tumor.