Prostate Cancer in a Lock
Treating Cancer With Unmatched Precision
MR-Linac combines MRI imaging with radiation therapy — letting doctors see tumors in real time and adapt treatment with precision.
EINSLEY-MARIE JANOWSKI, MD: An MRI Linac is a combination of two different technologies. It combines an MRI imager, which allows us to see normal and disease anatomy in great detail. And a linear accelerator which allows us to produce therapeutic x-rays to treat cancer. The combination of these two technologies really allows us to do amazing things that we couldn't do before.
PAUL READ, MD: It allows us to look inside patients while we're treating them. We can see the tumor that we're treating. And the normal tissues around them.
ANDREW TAYLOR: X-rays are not very good at determining the boundaries between different soft tissues. So if you're treating in the abdomen here, trying to determine where one organ stops and the next one starts, can be very difficult.
JANOWSKI: The MRI Linac is different from a traditional linear accelerator because it allows us to see that soft tissue anatomy in great detail.
MATTHEW MISTRO: There's been a lot of advancement in order to develop the MRI Linac and as a physicist it's just very fun to think about. Normally, a linear accelerator would produce a lot of extraneous noise to cloud our imaging quality of our MRI. And the MRI would deflect and ruin the production of our therapeutic radiation. So they were able to bring together these technologies and effectively hide them from one another, so that they can work in harmony. And it is truly a beautiful piece of engineering.
JANOWSKI: What used to take us a week to plan, we can literally do in one day while the patient is on the table, adapting the treatment so that we can precisely focus on the tumor. But really miss the adjacent structures that could cause toxicity in the future.
JOAN HARRIS, RN: It is painless. They'll just very much lie still. The good news about this one is if they do breathe, it's not going to stop treatment. In the CT-based Linac machines, for some treatments, you have to hold your breath. So the patient can breathe normally throughout the procedure. They just lie still and then they'll come in and get them off the machine. It's just very loud, so they get to pick out their own music.
READ: We've never before had an opportunity to have an MRI scan of a tumor during a course of treatment on a daily basis. Some cancer treatments are five days, but some go on for 30 treatment days. And we'll have an MRI image from each day and we can see how the tumor responds.
TAYLOR: UVA is currently the only NCI designated comprehensive cancer center in Virginia.
JANOWSKI: I think patients should consider coming to UVA for their cancer treatment. In addition to this exciting new technology, UVA has dedicated and brilliant oncologists wanting to participate in your cancer care. In addition, we will be setting up telemedicine visits for our patients, to really help you determine whether or not this MRI Linac is the best treatment for your cancer.
Why UVA Health for Prostate Cancer Care
Prostate cancer treatment isn't one-size-fits-all. To make choices about your treatment, you'll need information and answers you trust. At UVA Health, we have all the resources you need to feel confident in your decisions and care. Our experienced experts offer skilled support. And we have the latest high-tech tools that give you options. Make an appointment today.