MEDIA RELEASE PR41870
Major Medical Center in India is Country's First to Offer Fast Arc-based Radiation Therapy Technique
for Patients With Cancer
NEW DELHI, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
Medanta Cancer Institute harnesses precision and speed of Elekta VMAT
(Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy) for challenging clinical cases
In Medanta Cancer Institute's first two Elekta VMAT cases, physicians were able to simultaneously exploit
both the precision and speed benefits of this novel technique. Both patients had cranial tumors located near
critical structures - requiring precise targeting of the tumor - and both were inclined to move if the radiation
treatment beams were not delivered quickly.
"VMAT is particularly useful for patients who can't lie still for an extended time, where any movement can
impair radiation delivery," says Tejinder Kataria, M.D., Chairperson of the Radiation Oncology department at
Medanta Cancer Institute, part of Medanta - The Medicity (Gurgaon, Haryana, India), among India's largest
multi-specialty medical centers. "It also is beneficial for patients undergoing re-irradiation, as the sharp fall-off
dose close to previously treated fields can be achieved, in addition to patients whose tumors are located near
critical structures."
Medanta's first Elekta VMAT patient was a male with a sinus tumor that had recurred near the site of a
tumor that doctors treated during the patient's infancy. For the first lesion, he received radiation therapy and
underwent surgical removal of one of his eyes. "We had the difficult task of preserving the vision in his
remaining eye and maintaining his mental function, as the new tumor was lying very close to the brain," Dr.
Kataria explains. "VMAT gave us the required sharpness of dose gradient for planning Intensity Modulated
Radiation Therapy [IMRT], as well as rapid treatment delivery to maintain the patient in the same position
during therapy. For the 25 therapy sessions, each single arc treatment took just over two minutes of beam
delivery time."
The second Elekta VMAT patient was a 58-year-old man with a brain stem glioma involving the pons. The
tumor was situated within the critical pathway of nerve signal transmission between the brain and spinal cord,
a site that also serves as the center for important neural functions. "Planning with VMAT gave us the
confidence that the high dose target volume will conform to the brain stem without compromising the nearby
vital cranial nerves, spinal cord or pharyngeal pathways," she says. "The patient had to wear a mesh facial
mask to immobilize his head during treatment, but since the VMAT beam delivery took less than five minutes
to deliver for each of his five sessions, the patient was able to tolerate the treatment well without moving."
According to Dr. Kataria, the use of Elekta VMAT has reduced the radiation delivery time from
approximately 22 minutes to 2-3 minutes. Dr. Kataria anticipates that using Elekta VMAT in simpler cases also
will help reduce beam delivery times even further-down to 80 to 90 seconds in some instances.
Since early September, when Medanta Cancer Institute initiated its Elekta VMAT service, clinicians have
started therapy for an additional five patients, treating brain and neck lesions (glioma, metastases,
oligodendroglioma, pyriform sinus*), in addition to an endometrial tumor.
Medanta performs its Elekta VMAT treatments on an Elekta Infinity system, the first installation of this
advanced linear accelerator in India. The medical center will establish a frameless Stereotactic Body Radiation
Therapy (SBRT) service, also the country's first, which will enable treatment of lung or liver tumors in less than
20 minutes.
"Today, there are just a few hundred advanced cancer treatment machines to serve a population of 1.1
billion people," Dr. Kataria notes. "But Medanta and other major medical centers in India are beginning to
acquire cancer care technology rapidly, which will help increase access to sophisticated therapy techniques."
*Approval of indications may vary between different countries and additional regulatory clearances may be
required in some markets.
About Elekta VMAT
With Elekta VMAT the treatment gantry - the part of the machine from which radiation beams originate - is in
constant motion, with single or multiple gantry arc(s) sweeping around the patient. During these arc(s), the
radiation intensity is continuously varied and modulated. This ensures a computer controlled delivery,
according to the anatomical and tumor characteristics of the patient and the dose prescription. Using dynamic
gantry arcs, Elekta VMAT can result in significantly reduced treatment times, while providing a more
personalized treatment. In conventional "fixed gantry" therapy, the gantry makes several stops, which add to
the overall treatment time and result in a longer session.
About Elekta
Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer
and brain disorders. The company develops sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning
systems for radiation therapy and radiosurgery, as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the
spectrum of cancer care.
Stretching the boundaries of science and technology, providing intelligent and resource-efficient solutions
that offer confidence to both healthcare providers and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save
patient lives, making the future possible.
Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 5,000 hospitals globally, and every
day more than 100,000 patients receive diagnosis, treatment or follow-up with the help of a solution from the
Elekta Group.
Elekta employs around 2,500 employees globally. The corporate headquarter is located in Stockholm,
Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker EKTAb. For more information
SOURCE: Elekta
CONTACT: Stina Thorman
Vice President
Corporate Communications
Elekta AB
+46-8-587-254-37
stina.thorman@elekta.com
Time zone: CET: Central European; or
Michelle Lee
Director
Global Public Relations and Brand Management
Elekta
+1-770-670-2447
michelle.lee@elekta.com
Time zone: EDT: Eastern Daylight
NEWS 
