Vision RT at ASTRO 2024: A Recap of Innovation and Networking
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, was a hub of cutting-edge radiation therapy advancements. Vision RT, the pioneer of Surface Guided Radiation Therapy (SGRT), was front and center, showcasing the latest innovations and connecting with industry professionals.
This year’s highly anticipated evening event highlighted the transformative power of SGRT at every step on the radiation therapy workflow: Sim, Plan, Treat and Dose. The event featured three prominent SGRT users, talking about their evolution from primarily using SGRT for motion management to now using it to enhance patient safety and care quality throughout the entire radiotherapy workflow.
“For me, this technology gave me a sense of control during a time when I felt like I had none,” said radiation oncologist and breast cancer survivor Catherine Hwang during her passionate talk at a Vision RT event at the International Spy Museum. She shared how SGRT transformed her treatment experience, emphasized the importance of breath-hold techniques in protecting the heart during radiation therapy and how SGRT plays a crucial role in supporting this process.
Senior Medical Physicist Adi Robinson presented on AdventHealth Florida’s use of SGRT for simulation and treatment planning. Robinson highlighted how SimRT enables efficient comparisons between different tracking points to optimize patient positioning, reducing appointment times to approximately 20 minutes. He also discussed the benefits of MapRT, which leverages SGRT to generate a “clearance map,” allowing planners to ensure beam deliverability during plan creation and deliver clinically significant improvements.
Mike Tallhamer, Chief of Radiation Physics at AdventHealth CO, presented on the second phase of AdventHealth’s treatment process, focusing on treatment and dose visualization. He explained how the AlignRT system tracks patient positioning both before and during radiation therapy, enhancing setup and treatment accuracy. Tallhamer also showcased compelling case studies highlighting DoseRT‘s transformative potential in radiation therapy. DoseRT integrates Cherenkov imaging with AlignRT and Horizon cameras to provide real-time visualization of dose delivery and patient positioning, helping to prevent errors and improve clinical outcomes.
Vision RT’s booth was a hub of activity, attracting hundreds of ASTRO attendees with live product demonstrations. Those demos showcased benefits for the entire RT workflow, including sim, plan, treat, dose.
If you weren’t able to catch Vision RT at ASTRO, or if you’re eager to learn more about SGRT, be sure to listen to our podcast episode with The Accelerators. Featuring Mike Tallhamer, this discussion delves into AdventHealth’s SGRT journey, showcasing how they’ve integrated SGRT into every stage of the radiation therapy workflow.