BC Cancer- Kelowna has unveiled the new Ethos adaptive radiation therapy module, which the organization says will revolutionize the way cancer treatment plans are developed and modified as patients’ disease progresses. It is the only unit now in Canada.
With this new piece of equipment, medical staff can see tumor changes in the body and adapt treatment plans in the blink of an eye. It combines imaging with radiation therapy.
“And the artificial intelligence in this new technology (will be used) to very quickly generate a brand new treatment plan for each day,” said senior medical physicist Nathan Becker.
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BC Cancer-Kelowna radiation oncologist Dr. Francois Bachand explains that the machine can treat any type of cancer.
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“This machine has technology that allows us to do this work much faster than usual,” Bachand said.
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The focus of the Ethos machine is the treatment of pelvic cancer. However, work is underway to extend this to other types.
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According to senior medical physicist Nathan Becker, clinical trails have already begun in other countries that have the unit.
“There are clinical trials going on in the United States and Europe that are looking at lung tumors, head and neck tumors, or brain tumors,” Becker said.
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This cutting-edge technology will change the way patients are cared for every day at BC Cancer- Kelowna. The machine costs about three million dollars and will cut wait times for treatment plans. It will also enable medical staff to learn as they go.
There are plans to add more of these machines in British Columbia and across Canada, but for now all eyes are on Kelowna.
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