RapidArc® Radiation Therapy Treatment
RapidArc® radiotherapy technology, developed by Varian Medical Systems, is an extremely fast and precise form of image-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).
Image guidance improves tumor targeting, and IMRT shapes the radiation dose so that it conforms closely to the 3D shape of the tumor. This means more dose to the tumor, and potentially less to surrounding healthy tissue.
RapidArc’s image-guided treatment:
- Delivers a complete IMRT treatment with one or two rotations of the treatment machine around the patient.
- Can treat the entire tumor volume with the radiation dose during one revolution of the machine.
RapidArc involves varying (or modulating) the intensity of the radiation (in this case, high-energy x-rays) being used as therapy for cancer.
What can I expect during RapidArc treatment?
The radiosurgical team of oncologists and radiation physicists:
- Uses computer-generated images to develop a “custom-designed” treatment plan.
- Delivers a precise, tightly focused radiation dose that conforms to the shape of the tumor, while limiting the amount of radiation that reaches surrounding healthy tissues.
A significant benefit provided by RapidArc is the speed of a treatment. A RapidArc treatment is delivered with a single, 360-degree rotation of the linear accelerator, which takes less than two minutes.
Where can I receive RapidArc treatments?
See also: IMRT, TrueBeam™