Jason Ford

UK experts working on new treatment for cancer patients

News

The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust will be the first in the UK to gain access to an advanced radiotherapy system after entering into a research collaboration with Elekta.

They will help to develop MR Linac, a system in which radiation fields can be adapted to a patient’s anatomy during treatment for cancers that are challenging to image effectively and to target with radiation.

The MR Linac reportedly offers the potential to combine two advanced technologies: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which uses a powerful magnetic field to acquire images of the body’s internal anatomy, and a linear accelerator, which accelerates electrons to almost the speed of light before converting them to X-rays. Combined with onboard adaptive treating planning, this technology aims to ensure that each patient receives an optimal treatment that balances the benefits of tumour control and the risks of side effects.

The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), working with its clinical partner The Royal Marsden, has signed a contract with Elekta to become an academic partner in an international consortium of leading research organisations, including the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the National Cancer Institute in Amsterdam and the University of Utrecht in Holland.

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