Instrumentation & Software

Instrumentation

The Maddock Center’s commitment to ongoing investment in new technologies means your treatment will be delivered by the latest state-of-the-art equipment as it becomes available. We are the only facility in New England to offer a full spectrum of radiation therapy equipment. Our current instrumentation includes:

External Beam Treatments:

• Siemens PRIMUS™ medical linear accelerator - has both photon and electron treatment modalities. The photon energies we use are 6 MV and 10 MV while the electrons energies available are 5, 8, 10, 12 and 15 MeV. The PRIMUS is totally integrated with the PLATO™ treatment planning system, allowing full 3-dimensional treatment capability in a timeframe consistent with patient comfort. It is also IMRT capable.
• 3D-Multi Leaf Collimator - Using the 3D-Multi Leaf Collimator - which replaces labor and time intensive hand blocking - and the auto-sequencing methodology of the SIMTEC™ System, we have reduced the delivery time for a 6-field, 3-dimensional, conformal prostate treatment from 35 minutes to 6 minutes. In addition to increased patient comfort, we have noted an increase in accuracy due to reduced patient movement as evidenced in the quality assurance portal films.

Brachytherapy Treatments:

• Nucletron’s MicroSelectron Variable High Dose Rate (HDR) Afterloading System - The Gold Standard in remote controlled brachytherapy: over 2500 Nucletron afterloaders are in daily use around the world. Used originally for gynecological tumors, Nucleotron HDR systems are now applied to intraluminal, interstitial and intraoperative procedures and outpatient treatment.

Software

The Maddock Center utilizes the latest three-dimensional and IMRT treatment planning software available today including:

• Nucletron’s ONCENTRA Treatment Planning software - the most advanced treatment-planning system on the market today. A suite of individual software modules for external-beam radiotherapy, Oncentra brings integration, connectivity and flexibility to benefit patients and doctors with the latest advances in treatment techniques.
• Nucletron’s PLATO™ Treatment Planning System - a comprehensive brachytherapy software treatment planning system developed by the world leader in brachytherapy, Nucletron. With an emphasis on speed and ease of use, the PLATO system provides fast and accurate calculation of the target dose while sparing normal tissue.

Examples of four different field arrangements
as defined by the Multi Leaf Coordinator.

• Radiation Therapy—What It Is and How It Works

Therapies & Technologies at the Maddock Center:

• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
• Ultrasound-guided target localization
• MammoSite^® implants
• HDR Brachytherapy (site-delivered radiation treatment)
• Conformal Radiotherapy (3-D conformal external beam radiation therapy)
• External Beam Therapy (external radiation treatment)
• Customized Treatment for Skin Cancer