Radiation Therapy Technology Provides Simultaneous MRI Scanning, Treatment

A new research radiation-therapy system is being developed to feature a patented combination of radiotherapy delivery and simultaneous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Health System and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC) will soon become the third oncology research center in the world to acquire a radiotherapy system from ViewRay, Inc. (Cleveland, OH, USA), a medical device company.

Nearly two-thirds of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy during their illness. The ViewRay system is being designed to provide continuous soft-tissue magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during treatment so that clinicians can see where the radiation is being delivered, as it is being delivered. The ViewRay system will enable researchers at UCLA “to continue to meet our mission of fostering patient-centered care while pursuing better treatments and cures for cancer,” said Michael Steinberg, MD, chair of the UCLA department of radiation oncology and director of clinical affairs at JCCC.

One of the largest comprehensive cancer centers in the United States, JCCC has an international reputation for developing new cancer therapies, providing the best in experimental and traditional treatments. “JCCC’s radiation oncologists are highly regarded as both researchers and clinicians,” said ViewRay President and CEO Gregory M. Ayers, MD, PhD. “Their expertise will be invaluable as we introduce real-time MRI capabilities into the radiation oncology community.”

JCCC joins ViewRay research partners at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center (Madison, USA), and the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine (St. Louis, MO, USA), where the first ViewRay research system is currently being installed. Pending 510(k) premarket notification review with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the ViewRay system is currently available only as a non-human use research system.

UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has more than 240 researchers and clinicians engaged in disease research, prevention, detection, control, treatment, and education. One of the nation's largest comprehensive cancer centers, JCCC is focused on promoting research and translating basic science into cutting-edge clinical studies.

Related Links:
University of California, Los Angeles Health System and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
ViewRay