RapidArc is the biggest advance in linear accelerator radiotherapy for many years.
RapidArc delivers radiotherapy faster and with a greater level of accuracy than previous linear accelerators. Linked to a unique tumour mapping system, the RapidArc travels around a patient targeting tumours from 360 degrees in just two minutes, rather than 20 minutes of exposure with older systems. It delivers radiation, following the contours of cancers, in one rotation giving better coverage of the tumour volume with far less damage to nearby healthy tissue.
In the case of prostate cancer for example, prior to the introduction of RapidArc, patients could sometimes suffer radiation damage to the bladder or the rectum but this new system is safer and more comfortable for the patient. In addition, in the past, radiation doses had to be delivered slowly from one direction in several sessions spread over a period of several weeks, but now, all that is in the past.
