The new linear accelerator at the PEI Cancer Treatment Centre is now fully operational, says Minister of Health and Wellness Carolyn Bertram. This new equipment uses the latest in high-energy radiation technology to target and kill cancer cells in all types of cancers treatable by radiation therapy.
“Our government has invested significantly to the Provincial Cancer Treatment Centre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital,” said Minister Bertram. “The new linear accelerator will improve radiation therapy treatment for cancer patients and help ensure that we continue to meet National Standards for Radiation wait times. Having a second linear accelerator will also ensure that patients will receive radiation therapy without worry of interruption to their treatment plan when machine maintenance is required in future.”
The PEI Cancer Treatment Centre currently delivers more than 7,300 radiotherapy treatment sessions per year, with approximately 400 new patients treated annually. This second linear accelerator will enable more patients to be treated faster and more accurately. The linear accelerator technology is most often used in multi-session treatments in order to avoid damaging healthy surrounding tissue with too high a dose of radiation. Patients can receive anywhere from a single treatment to multiple treatments lasting more than six weeks depending on their disease.
“Over the years, the need for radiation oncology treatment services have evolved and we have had to adjust the provision of services offered, including offering new treatment options,” said Rick Adams, Executive Director for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. “Throughout this process, as we have adapted to treatment needs, our main focus has always been on the health and well-being of our patients and our staff.”
The new linear accelerator was installed last fall and went through a testing process known as commissioning, before it could be utilized for delivery of radiation treatment. The commissioning process ensured that the linear accelerator is delivering the appropriate radiation treatment as prescribed by the radiation oncologist.
With the new linear accelerator now up and running, the original linear accelerator will be temporarily brought offline at the beginning of March to be upgraded; this process will ensure that both machines are using the same advanced software for gathering comprehensive data. The upgrade, which includes new imaging technologies and higher image precision quality, will allow the health care team to fine-tune a patient’s treatment plan with respect to the delivery of precise radiation treatment. It is anticipated that both linear accelerators will be fully operational by the end of April.