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Cancer treatment that takes days not weeks

If you are a provider interested in learning about how MRIdian® can benefit your patients, visit our provider information page. 

Technology that targets moving tumors.

At GenesisCare, we provide specialist cancer care to thousands of people worldwide, including 275 cancer treatment centers in the US.

We offer the most innovative cancer treatments that are clinically proven to be safe and effective.

The MRIdian®'s smart technology combines high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques with extremely precise radiation beams that can treat tumors more accurately than conventional radiation therapy. This can mean fewer treatment sessions, reduced side effects and a greater chance of an improved outcome.

MRIdian® is suitable for:

  1. Pancreas Cancer
  2. Prostate Cancer 
  3. Lung Cancer 
  4. Liver Cancer
  5. Breast Cancer
  6. Oligometastatic Cancer
  7. Kidney Cancer

 

The ViewRay MRIdian® explained

The benefits of MRIdian®

Who can benefit from the MRIdian®?

More than 20,000* people worldwide have already benefitted from having been treated with the MRIdian®. It is a revolutionary treatment option for tumors near other major organs where limiting damage to healthy tissue is vital or in organs that move a lot, for example, due to breathing. 

Its precision at targeting small tumors makes the MRIdian® useful where cancer has spread to other regions of the body (metastasized) and for the re-irradiation (retreating with radiation) of areas that have already received radiation therapy in the past.

To have treatment with an MR linac such as the MRIdian®, you need to be suitable for both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning technology and radiation therapy. 

MR-linac technology is also effective for palliative treatment in patients with advanced stage cancer. This type of treatment is aimed to prevent or treat symptoms and side effects of the disease and its treatment, while improving overall quality of life.

*20,000 patients treated worldwide with MRIdian® as of April 2022.

Patient experience

What does MRIdian® treatment involve?

Here is an outline of what to expect after your initial consultation and before, during and after your treatment. There are four stages to the process: simulation, planning, treatment and follow-up. Before your first appointment, your care team will call you to explain any preparation instructions you may need to follow prior to your appointments and to answer any questions you may have.

    1. Simulation appointment
      This appointment will last for two to three hours and will involve a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan on the MRIdian® and a separate computerized tomography (CT) scan. It will involve the following steps:

      1. Your radiation technician will explain the process to you and ask you to fill out a safety questionnaire. 

      2. You will be asked to change into a gown and remove any metal objects such as jewelry, hair clips, hearing aids, glasses or dentures. In the treatment room, you’ll be asked to lie on a couch where you will be placed in position.

      3. Soft pads will be placed over the area of your body being treated. These pads, called coils, help to produce high quality MRI images. 

      4. The scan will last for around 20-30 minutes, and you’ll be able to speak to the scanning team through an intercom.

      5. Your CT scan will be in a different room and is much quicker, lasting around 5-10 minutes. You will be placed in the same position as for your MRI scan.

      6. You can go home directly after your scans.

    2. Planning
      Over the next week or so, your radiation oncologist and care team will work together to create a MRIdian® radiation therapy plan that is specific to you.

    3. Your treatment
      Your treatment will take 45-60 minutes. We will talk to you through our intercom system regularly throughout your treatment and you can talk to us. Before each treatment session, you’ll have a new MRI scan, which will be compared with your planning scans. Any movements of your tumor and internal organs will be taken into account and your treatment plan may be carefully adjusted and optimized to account for these changes. You can go straight home after each treatment session. You’ll be given contact details for your care team so you can call if you’re worried about anything.

    4. First treatment session
      At your first actual treatment session, your radiation therapist will make sure you’re as comfortable as possible. This first appointment may take 20 to 30 minutes. Most of this time is taken to accurately position you for treatment and to set up the treatment machine. The actual radiation treatment delivery time takes only a few minutes.

    5. Your follow-up
      After your treatment course has finished, you will be referred back to your referring provider, and we will provide them with all the information they need to plan any further treatment you need.

      7 to 10 days later: a member of your care team will call to see how you are feeling and answer any questions you may have.

      Four to six weeks later: you’ll attend a review with your radiation oncologist.

      Long-term: we will continue to follow-up your recovery and wellbeing through check-ins with doctor appointments and phone calls.

    Side effects of MRIdian®

    With the MRIdian®, side effects can be fewer with a shorter duration** than with conventional radiation therapy.

    For example, in the treatment of prostate cancer, short term side effects, lasting around three to four weeks include:

    • Needing to pass urine urgently
    • Discomfort urinating
    • Loose and frequent bowel movements
    • Feeling tired

    Long-term side effects, which could last for years, may include:

    • Difficulty getting or maintaining an erection
    • Softer stool and passing urine more frequently
    • Rarely, narrowing of the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of your body, making it difficult to pass urine may occur as well as persistent bleeding from the back passage.

    ** A study from VU* University Medical Centre in Amsterdam showed a low occurrence of gastrointestinal and urinary side effects in patient and clinician-reported outcomes.

    Why choose GenesisCare?

    As well as MRIdian® radiation therapy, we offer many state-of-the-art treatments for cancer, including chemotherapy, other types of internal and external radiation therapy, organ-sparing gel for conventional radiation therapy and theranostics, a new treatment for advanced disease.

    Your personalized treatment plan is tailored to your individual needs and delivered by your dedicated care team of cancer specialists including physicians, surgeons, physicists, technicians, nurses and key support staff. As well as ensuring that you receive the medical treatment you need as promptly as possible.

    After all, we are treating you – not just your cancer.

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