Motion management system allows MR acquisition with patient in compressed treatment position
Following the announcement that NHS England is accelerating the roll-out of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) treatments nationwide, many cancer centres will require access to specialised immobilisation equipment to enable its safe and effective delivery.
Challenges exist in delivering SABR, especially involving treatment sites subject to respiratory motion, such as the lower lobes of the lungs, liver and pancreas. Studies have shown that tumours of the liver can move up to 10mm or more during respiration, and lung lesions can move up to 20mm. Without proper motion management the target volume may be underdosed or surrounding healthy tissue may be overdosed.
Available in the UK and Ireland from Oncology Imaging Systems, ZiFix is an MR-safe abdominal and thoracic motion management system for SABR treatments. It is designed to suppress tumour and organ motion effectively and reliably, providing positional consistency between imaging, simulation and radiotherapy treatment. The patent-pending system features a compression paddle contoured to conform to the patient’s anatomy.
Lead research radiographer at Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre Aileen Duffton said: “Initially we were looking for a low-cost abdominal compression device that would allow us to reduce organ motion for clinical trials patients. One of the main benefits we have seen from using the device is that MRI can be safely acquired with patients compressed in treatment position. The device has been useful in reducing target motion, which has also reduced their planning target volume (PTV), making them suitable for treatment with an ablative dose.
“The ZiFix has allowed us to plan and deliver multi-site treatments by mitigating motion and reducing PTV. This has helped to achieve a set-up where organ-at-risk dose would have otherwise been excessive.”
Picture: ZiFix provides abdominal compression to induce shallow breathing for managing internal motion due to respiration.
Published on page 18 of the August 2020 issue of RAD Magazine.