Radiation therapy firm Varian Medical Systems has started volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatments.
The vendor has integrated its Eclipse treatment planning system with Elekta linear accelerators to deliver VMAT treatments at Kantonsspital St. Gallen in Switzerland. An 83-year-old patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has become the first patient in the world to be treated using this combination of software and equipment, Varian said.
VMAT treatments enable the delivery of image-guided IMRT (intensity-modulated radiotherapy) faster than conventional IMRT, according to the company. With volumetric arc treatments, the beam delivers the dose while continuously rotating around the patient.
