一種新型四維整合治療控制臺，通過幫助臨床醫生更加快速地以較低成本傳送先進的放射治療方法，從而加速癌癥治療。

這種技術是由Varian醫療系統公司(Palo Alto, CA, USA)研制開發的，正在傳送包括SmartBeam密度調制放射治療（IMRT）以及Dynamic靶向影像引導放射治療（IGRT）。

美國Enloe醫學中心主任醫療物理學家Randy Holt說：“只需要我們花20分鐘來傳送七區域前列腺IMRT治療，包括驗證患者位置的每日影像檢查。在14分鐘內即可完成。”

根據Holt博士的說法，更快的治療時間意味著更好的患者預后。“當治療時間很長的時候，意味著更多的患者運動，而這并不是你所需要的。將患者運動降低至最小程度，是我們所能夠做的最重要的事情。而回報就是患者在整個治療過程中更加舒服。”

根據Holt博士的說法，在Enloe醫學中心醫生輸送復雜的放射治療治療所花費的中位數時間下降了30％。“這就意味著在整個科室費用下降了15％。一旦我們部署這種4維治療控制臺，我們將不再需要治療操作者加班工作。”
 
Console Expedites Radiotherapy Treatments
 
A new four-dimensional (4D) integrated treatment console is speeding up cancer treatments by making it possible for clinicians to deliver advanced types of radiotherapy more quickly and more cost effectively.

This technology, developed by Varian Medical Systems (Palo Alto, CA, USA), is expediting delivery of treatments including SmartBeam intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and Dynamic Targeting image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT).

“It used to take us 20 minutes to deliver a seven-field prostate IMRT treatment, including daily imaging to verify a patient’s position,” said Randy Holt, Ph.D., chief medical physicist at the Enloe Medical Center (Chico, CA. USA). “That’s dropped down to well under 14 minutes.”

According to Dr. Holt, the quicker treatment times mean better patient care. “When treatments are lengthy, there is more patient movement, and you don’t want that. Minimizing patient motion is one of the most important things we can do. The bonus is that the patient is more comfortable with the entire process.”

There has been a 30% median reduction in the amount of time it takes clinicians to deliver a complicated radiotherapy treatment at the Enloe Medical Center, according to Dr. Holt. “That has translated into a 15% improvement in overall department cost efficiency. Once we implemented the 4D treatment console, we eliminated therapists’ overtime.”