Truebeam STx with Velocity

Truebeam STx with Velocity

What is the Truebeam STx with Velocity?

Varian’s Truebeam STx with Velocity is an advanced radiotherapy system engineered to deliver more powerful cancer treatments with speed and precision. It facilitates unique integration of advanced imaging and motion management technologies to deliver radiation more quickly.

Truebeam STx with Velocity delivers advanced treatments that includes:

• Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT)
• Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)
• RapidArc® radiotherapy technology
• Gated RapidArc

Why Truebeam STx with Velocity is used?

Truebeam STx with Velocity enables your doctor in treating wide range of complex cancers such as cancers of the abdomen, lung, breast, prostate, head and neck, etc. The latest technology is engineered to deliver high doses with accuracy while protecting nearby healthy tissues and critical organs. However, Truebeam STx with Velocity may not be appropriate for treating all types of cancer patients. You should ask your doctor, if you are a suitable candidate.

What happens during the procedure?

In the treatment room, you will be positioned on a treatment table and the markings on your skin will be used to locate the treatment area. In some cases, special molded devices are used to ensure that the patient stays still and provides correct positioning.

Your Radiation Oncologist uses imaging capabilities of the Truebeam STx with Velocity to position you for a treatment which is accurate to less than a millimeter. These high-resolution X-rays of the targeted area confirm that they are in range with the tumour before administering the treatment. It helps doctor to treat those tumors which were previously difficult to treat due to tumour’s natural tendency to move within the body or when the tumour is located near vital organs.

Your Radiation Oncologist will leave the treatment room, before the Truebeam system is turned on. The linear accelerator rotates around you to deliver the radiation beams, which are shaped by a special attachment called a multileaf collimator. The device has 120 computer-controlled mechanical leaves or fingers that moves to create apertures of different shapes and sizes.

How long will it take?

Truebeam STx with Velocity is fast. A simple treatment session which previously took 10 to 30 minutes can now be completed in less than two minutes. The first session sometimes take longer duration (approximately 15 to 20 minutes) than the subsequent ones, as additional images are acquired to check the positioning of the tumour.

What happens after the procedure?

Radiotherapy limits the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. These radiations disrupt the DNA of cancer cells and prevents them from replicating. Being an external radiation therapy, you will not become radioactive as they were given from an outside source and there is no radiation source inside your body. You can go home after treatment session. You may experience fatigue which is temporary. Follow your doctor’s advice. You will be informed about your next follow-up visit.

Apollo Expertise in the procedure

The TrueBeam platform with Velocity provides Apollo Hospital with the tools to manage and treat our patients optimally. In some cases, patients had undergone multiple treatments over a long period or even after a gap, especially in metastatic lesions that occur months or even years later. It is here that the Velocity software allows the treating doctors to understand a patient’s full clinical history and reach a judicious decision about the way forward. It puts more power into the hands of our Oncologists with a comprehensive view of a patient’s diagnostic imaging and treatment history, regardless of where they were treated or what technology was used. Velocity makes it possible to manage the entire cancer treatment journey from diagnosis to completion of treatment.

Information on which Apollo Hospitals has it

Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad has successfully launched Varian’s Truebeam STx radiotherapy system with Velocity.

Get in Touch

To book an appointment with our Radiation Oncologist, click here

FAQs

Is there any treatment preparation to be followed?

You may be required to undergo a CT scan or MRI. These images are used to plan your treatment which includes dividing the total dose of radiation required for your treatment into smaller doses that is given during each session. Your radiation oncologist may mark the treatment area to assist in aligning the equipment with the target area. You will also be explained about the procedure and the course of radiotherapy.

What is unique about Varian’s Truebeam STx with Velocity technology?

• The beam sculpts itself to match the shape of tumor, thus minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues.
• Faster delivery of radiation dose in shorter duration makes it more suitable to elderly or paediatric patients.
• Pinpoint accuracy and precision.
• Lesser exposure to radiation.
• Helps in treating different types of complex cancers.