Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center is one of the first hospitals in the nation to offer the latest advancement in radiation cancer treatment – RapidArc radiotherapy.

A fast, accurate cancer treatment, RapidArc maximizes radiation to the tumor, while significantly reducing the radiation to nearby organs and tissue. RapidArc allows for more powerful cancer therapy with limited radiation exposure for healthy cells.

How RapidArc Works

RapidArc radiotherapy is a new form of image-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Image guidance allows physicians to better target tumors, and IMRT shapes the radiation dose so it conforms closely to the three-dimensional shape of the tumor. This means more dose to the tumor and less to the surrounding healthy tissue.

RapidArc treatment involves three basic steps:

• Diagnosis: The medical team generates three-dimensional diagnostic images of the patient’s anatomy and uses these images to determine the dose of radiation needed to treat the tumor.
• Treatment planning: In some cases, this includes a simulation session to zero in on the location of the cancer and finalize the radiation treatment plan.
• Delivery: Patients receive RapidArc treatments on a tailored schedule based on their diagnosis. A typical treatment schedule is five days a week for six or seven weeks.

Benefits Offered

RapidArc helps deliver the right dose to the right spot to enhance cancer treatment. The benefits of RapidArc radiotherapy include:

• Precision: RapidArc treatments focus the radiation on the tumor while protecting surrounding healthy tissues.
• Speed: A daily treatment can be delivered in less than 10 minutes.
• Accuracy: Faster treatments may also be more accurate. Since a patient spends less time holding still, it’s easier to avoid movements that can affect the accuracy of the treatment.

Treatment for a Variety of Cancers

At the Angelo P. Creticos, MD, Cancer Center at Illinois Masonic Medical Center, RapidArc technology is used to treat many different cancers, including prostate, gynecological, lung, bone, brain, spine, head and neck and soft tissue cancers.

To learn more, call the Department of Radiation Oncology at 773.296.7076.