CHICAGO, Nov. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Elekta (EKTA-B.ST) is introducing its magnetic resonance radiation therapy (MR/RT) technology at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 103rd Annual Meeting in Chicago November 26 to December 1. Elekta's MR-linac is the first system to enable simultaneous radiation delivery and fast acquisition of diagnostic-standard (1.5T) MR images. MR/RT is an exciting approach to radiation therapy which uses MR images captured during delivery of the radiation dose to optimize the dose delivery.

Elekta's MR-linac integrates an advanced linear accelerator with a diagnostic-standard MR imaging system and intelligent software into a single device. This technology addresses a longstanding unmet need in radiation therapy, allowing clinicians to clearly visualize the target during treatment rather than relying solely on pre-treatment images to guide radiation targeting. This is critical for advancing the safety and efficacy of radiation therapy because tumors and surrounding tissues often move during the treatment session as a result of breathing or digestive tract activity. MR/RT is expected to enable the use of radiation therapy in cancer indications that are not amenable to treatment with current radiation delivery systems.

"Elekta's MR-linac transforms radiation therapy into true precision oncology care by using its diagnostic-standard MR images to enable real-time adaptation of cancer treatment to the specific shape and location of each patient's individual tumor while sparing dose to surrounding anatomical structures," said Kevin Brown, Global VP Scientific Research at Elekta. "The advancements in MR imaging of moving anatomy are very exciting and will find immediate application in the MR-linac to manage uncertainty and motion as the treatment is delivered. This reduction in uncertainty should enable the clinician to reduce treatment margins and spare more healthy tissue. As a result, MR/RT may enable critical advances in the safety and efficacy of radiation therapy."
Results of the first clinical study to evaluate MR-linac in human subjects, which were recently published in Physics in Medicine & Biology, validate that the premium-quality MR imaging (MRI) system provides high dosing and positional accuracy while allowing treatment decisions to be made on the treatment table throughout radiation delivery.

The development of Elekta's MR-linac platform demonstrates the company's ability to collaborate with industry and academic partners and across disciplines of radiation oncology, radiology and medical physics. The Elekta MR-linac Consortium reflects Elekta's commitment to collaborating with those on the front lines of cancer care and addressing real unmet clinical need through innovation and technology advances.

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