Combined cancer cure

The Department of Radiation Oncology is acquiring a device that combines MRI with radiation. It will allow cancer treatment to be even more precise and tailored to each individual patient.

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Martina Schneider* is feeling confident. A new treatment at University Hospital Zurich (USZ) will improve the prognosis for her pancreatic cancer compared with past methods. She has a tumor that cannot be removed surgically or treated with conventional radiation therapy. It is not always possible to offer patients the optimum radiation treatment. In Martina Schneider’s case, the dose of radiation was insufficient to destroy the tumor. An increase in the dosage would not be possible, since this would damage her intestines.

But now there’s new hope for Martina Schneider in the form of a new piece of technology. In spring 2019, the Department of Radiation Oncology at USZ acquired the very first hybrid  “MRI Linac” unit in Switzerland. It combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a state-of-the-art linear accelerator, making it possible to further improve the quality of complex cancer treatments – and patients’ chances of beating their cancer.

There are already hybrid devices that combine radiation with computer tomography. However, the MRI Linac uses magnetic resonance imaging to target the tumor with even greater precision, as it delivers better images of tissue contrast. Thus, even tumors in the abdomen and pelvic area – such as the kidneys, liver, or pancreas – can be targeted with the utmost precision.

With this MRI technology, imaging and radiation are carried out simultaneously during the treatment. This is important, because tumors change position before and during radiation treatment – when the patient breathes, for example. The MRI technology now allows the tumor to be located with millimeter precision in real time and the radiation to be adjusted accordingly. Another advantage is that continuous imaging can immediately show whether the treatment is effective.

As a result, the innovative hybrid device protects healthy tissue near the tumor thanks to the pin-point precision of the radiation. It is also possible to increase the dose of the radiation if needed – further increasing the likelihood of destroying the tumor. For clinic director Matthias Guckenberger, one thing is clear: “The new generation of hybrid devices is the future of radiation oncology.”

The new hybrid device is used not only in cancer treatment but also in research at University Hospital Zurich. “The MRI Linac will offer us some totally new insights into how tumors behave,” says Nicolaus Andratschke, assistant director of the clinic.

The MRI Linac cost around eight million Swiss francs. Alongside the University Hospital Zurich there were contributions from the Stiftung Baugarten Zurich, the University of Zurich, and the Swiss National Science Foundation. The MRI Linac has been used for treatment since April 2019 – offering hope to patients like Martina Schneider.

* anonymized

100% financed

Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich
Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich
Department of Oncology, University Hospital Zurich
Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Zurich
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich
Computer Vision Laboratory, ETH Zurich
Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, ETH Zurich

Stiftung Baugarten Zurich
Swiss National Science Foundation
University of Zurich
University Hospital Zurich