We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App




Guatemala Treatment Center Becomes First in Latin America to Introduce Advanced Radiotherapy Cancer Treatments

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 09 Oct 2009
Cancer patients in Guatemala and across Central America now have access to sophisticated radiotherapy treatments, including intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Hope International Centro de Radioterapia (Guatemala City, Guatemala) has become the first treatment center in Latin America to install the fast new treatment capability from Varian Medical Systems (Palo Alto, CA, USA) IMRT with RapidArc technology. With RapidArc, Hope International Centro de Radioterapia, a new privately funded clinic, can provide more advanced care to a greater number of patients than would be possible with conventional technology. It is equipped with state-of-the-art technology for delivering the full spectrum of image-guided cancer treatments.

"We are able to offer IMRT, which targets cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues and organs,” stated Luis A. Linares, M.D., medical director. "With RapidArc, we have the potential to further enhance our precision by completing many of these treatments more quickly, which can reduce the extent of patient motion during treatment. All treatments will be delivered using a high resolution multileaf collimator to shape the treatment beam so that it matches the shape and size of the tumor from every angle.”

The new treatment technology was unveiled on September 10, 2009, at an inauguration attended by many local dignitaries, including Alvaro Arzú, mayor of Guatemala City; cabinet-level government officials; medical specialists from across the region; and prominent leaders from the private sector.

RapidArc delivers a precise and efficient treatment in single or multiple arcs of the treatment machine around the patient and makes it possible to deliver image-guided IMRT two to eight times faster than is possible with conventional IMRT.

"This is an important facility for this part of Central America,” said James Miles, Varian's director of operations for Latin American and the Caribbean. "We commend Dr. Linares and his team for taking the initiative to provide state-of-the-art cancer care for the people of Guatemala and surrounding region.”

Varian Medical Systems is a world-leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy, and brachytherapy. The company supplies informatics software for managing comprehensive cancer clinics, radiotherapy centers, and medical oncology practices.

Related Links:

Varian Medical Systems



New
Mammography System (Analog)
MAM VENUS
New
Diagnostic Ultrasound System
DC-80A
Ultrasound Imaging System
P12 Elite
Radiology Software
DxWorks

Channels

Ultrasound

view channel
Image: The new implantable device for chronic pain management is small and flexible (Photo courtesy of The Zhou Lab at USC)

Wireless Chronic Pain Management Device to Reduce Need for Painkillers and Surgery

Chronic pain affects millions of people globally, often leading to long-term disability and dependence on opioid medications, which carry significant risks of side effects and addiction.... Read more

Nuclear Medicine

view channel
Image: The diagnostic tool could improve diagnosis and treatment decisions for patients with chronic lung infections (Photo courtesy of SNMMI)

Novel Bacteria-Specific PET Imaging Approach Detects Hard-To-Diagnose Lung Infections

Mycobacteroides abscessus is a rapidly growing mycobacteria that primarily affects immunocompromised patients and those with underlying lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary... Read more

Imaging IT

view channel
Image: The new Medical Imaging Suite makes healthcare imaging data more accessible, interoperable and useful (Photo courtesy of Google Cloud)

New Google Cloud Medical Imaging Suite Makes Imaging Healthcare Data More Accessible

Medical imaging is a critical tool used to diagnose patients, and there are billions of medical images scanned globally each year. Imaging data accounts for about 90% of all healthcare data1 and, until... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.