IMED Elche is the first center of Alicante in the use of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy using volumetric arcoterapia

- Dr. Andreu leads the team of this alternative invasive surgery and , tumors of the head and neck , lung , liver and spine can be treaten without hospitalization. 

IMED Elche Hospital is the first medical center in the province of Alicante applying fractionated stereo tactical radiotherapie , a radiation technique consisting administering an effective dose of the radiation over a difined volume, by a high accuracy and high gradient dosis with narrow beams and shaped structures which normal tissues where the lowest possible dose of radiation is received . The novelty lies in the use of the technique of volumetric arcoterápica RapidArcTM Varian which is a treatment with a significant reduction in the time that the patient is in the treatment chamber.

These therapies have an effective response in patients in approximately 80-90 % of cases , thanks to the greater tolerance of the treatment due to fractionation , resulting in lower side and give in 3 to 8 sessions , the same results as in conventional treatments without hospitalization and avoiding many movements of the patient to the medical center .

Dr. Francisco José Andreu Martinez is the one that leads the team of six people who are educated in Switzerland , the UK and Germany, consisting of radiation oncologists , radiation physicists , senior technicians in radiotherapy , as well as a nurse .

"Before treatments begins we correct physical abnormalities during application and quality control systems for image - guidance allowing an individual and adapted conformation for each patient" said Dr. Andreu .

For treatment planning it is necessary to define the CT simulation. Appropriately the size and shape of the tumor to be treated It allows the planning EclipseTM , image fusion to other imaging techniques such as MRI , PET , and other TAC studies .

By the dosimetric characteristics of this technology it is possible to treat tumors at complicated places due to the proximity of vital organs, or treat patients with co-morbidities who are not candidates for surgical treatment.

This fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy can also be used inhomogeneous in each session, that is to say they increase in those parts of the tumor where there have been detected a higher biological activity of the cancer cells in accordance with the coordinating physician .

The ability of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy that IMED ELCHE has implemented in its center is mainly used in extracranial tumors: metastases and the stages of inoperable lung cancer by functional problems (lung and liver), but it is also implemented in cranial disease cases ( brain and acoustic schwannomas ) , among others.

This type of treatment represents " the tip of the spear of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy because in a few sessions it achieves the same results as conventional radiotherapy ," in the words of Dr. Andreu .