Cancer-Fighting Technology
New cancer-fighting technology is here in Kansas City. Our team at the AdventHealth Cancer Institute has begun treating patients with the Elekta Unity MRI Linear Accelerator. This leading-edge, cancer-fighting technology allows our providers to view tumors in real-time and use pinpoint precision when treating our patients.
Caring for Cancer With Advanced Technology
Created by medical manufacturer Elekta, the Unity MR-Linac system delivers MRI-guided radiation therapy targeted to the affected area. Discover how this advanced radiation results in fewer treatments, side effects and trips to our cancer institute.
- Introduction to MRI-Guided Radiation Therapy
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With MRI-guided radiation therapy, our MR-Linac system uses MRI technology to see tumors in real-time during treatment. Your doctor can see your tumor and surrounding organs, targeting your cancer more effectively as the tumor’s size, shape and location change throughout treatment.
Ultimately, MRI-guided radiation therapy means we can adapt your treatment to your body's needs at any time, delivering effective, targeted radiation with reduced side effects and fewer treatment sessions.
- About the Elekta Unity MR-Linac System
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Elekta Unity is an MR-Linac system — made by medical manufacturer Elekta — used to deliver MRI-guided radiation therapy. The MR-Linac device enables personalized radiation therapy by combining two distinct technologies in a single platform: a state-of-the-art, high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system and a next-generation Elekta linear accelerator (Linac). The radiation treatment dose delivers controlled high-energy X-rays, destroying or damaging cancer cells to stop them from growing or spreading.
This new technology addresses an unmet need in cancer therapy for the first time, empowering clinicians to confidently see and track the target during treatment and respond accordingly, personalizing therapy for each patient during every treatment. Our AdventHealth Cancer Institute in Kansas City is the first in the area to offer this state-of-the-art technology.
- Accurate and Personalized Cancer Therapy
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With the Elekta Unity MR-Linac system, tumors and surrounding tissues can be accurately located, and their movement tracked, allowing care plans to be adapted while treatment is in process. Providers can respond to changes in tumor position, shape and biology immediately.
Because this system allows physicians to see what they treat in real-time, it helps our teams adjust the radiation dose based on changes in the size and location of the tumor and surrounding healthy anatomy.
With this technology, radiation therapy will be more effective and safer, which could mean fewer side effects and treatment sessions at our cancer institute.
How MRI-Guided Radiation Therapy Will Benefit You
This advanced therapy allows cancer experts and patients to see the tumor in real-time during radiation therapy. It’s a treatment system that enables personalized radiotherapy by integrating MRI to target tumors and a linear accelerator (Linac) to deliver high-dose radiation that eliminates cancer cells. Explore the incredible benefits this therapy offers for you and your treatment team.
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Pinpoint Precision
With Fewer Rounds
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Revolutionizing Care
For What Couldn’t Previously Be Treated
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Fewer Side Effects
With Less Damage to Healthy Tissue
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Better Outcomes
For More Patients
Effectively Treating a Range of Cancers
A large range of cancers — at least 40 different tumor types — can be treated with MRI-guided radiation therapy. This therapy is ideal for tumors in and around the chest or abdomen and for treating cancers located in difficult-to-visualize soft tissue.
MRI-guided radiation therapy with the MR-Linac system may be right for you if you need radiation therapy for breast, colon, esophageal, gynecologic or lung cancer.
A Look at the Elekta Unity MR-Linac System
Explore the advanced technology that will allow us to deliver MRI-guided radiation therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions About MRI-Guided Radiation Therapy
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Q:Question: What's different about MRI-guided radiation therapy?
A:Answer:Unlike other cancer radiation therapies, MRI-guided radiation therapy combines the imaging capabilities of an MRI with radiation to deliver care tailored to you. This means that doctors can see tumors that couldn’t be seen before in a much clearer way. It also means that your clinical team will be able to react to how your tumor responds to therapy and improve your treatment accordingly to eliminate cancer cells.
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Q:Question: What does it feel like to receive treatment on an MR-Linac?
A:Answer:The experience is similar to an MRI scan; there’s no sensation associated with the radiation. You won’t feel the radiation or magnetic field. You can wear earplugs or headphones if you want to listen to music. The machine can be adapted for whatever position you are in, and you'll always be in communication with the radiation therapist.
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Q:Question: Is MRI-guided radiation therapy safe?
A:Answer:Radiation therapy has been used to successfully treat cancer patients and eliminate cancer cells for many years, and advances have been made to ensure that it is safe and effective. MRI-guided radiation therapy guards your healthy organs against radiation exposure, which may mean fewer side effects than other treatment options.
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Q:Question: Are there any side effects to MRI-guided radiation therapy?
A:Answer:MRI-guided radiation therapy helps guard your healthy organs against unnecessary radiation exposure, which means you may experience fewer side effects than other treatment options. By delivering a more targeted dose of treatment, this therapy can also result in the need for fewer treatment sessions overall. Although there can be side effects to any radiotherapy treatment, the most common side effects are typically temporary. Please be sure to talk to your doctor about any concerns or discomfort.
Trusted Care for Your Body, Mind and Spirit
At our AdventHealth Cancer Institute here in Kansas City, you can count on us to care for your physical, emotional and spiritual needs, offering safe and proven treatments at every step. Our new $76.5 million, 71,000 square-foot building, brings leading-edge technology and opens new doors in the future of cancer care.