From the September 2017 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
MR/RT also has the potential to benefit radiation oncology departments. Shorter treatment regimens should allow more patients to be treated in a given time period because each patient will require less total time in the radiation treatment suite. This can expand patient access to an important treatment option while improving departmental operational efficiencies and allowing more rapid amortization of investments in MR/RT equipment.
Researchers are also evaluating opportunities to utilize high-field MR/RT for functional MRI that can provide information on biologic and cellular activity within a tumor. Such information could allow clinicians to detect whether a tumor, or a portion of a tumor, is responding to therapy at earlier stages of treatment, enabling rapid adaptation of the treatment plan in order to maximize RT benefits. Functional imaging may also provide new insights into tumor biology and the mechanisms of action for regimens that utilize radiation in combination with chemotherapy or immunotherapy agents.
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The future of MR/RT is imminent, and a new system with these features is in clinical review at leading medical centers in Europe and North America. A growing body of evidence should help define how to incorporate MR/RT into new treatment paradigms that truly advance patient care.
About the author: Joel Goldwein is the senior vice president of medical affairs at Elekta.Back to HCB News
