Following the announcement from NHS England accelerating the rollout of SABR treatments nationwide, many cancer centres will require access to new, specialised immobilisation equipment to enable safe and effective delivery of this advanced treatment technique.
Unique challenges exist in delivering SABR — especially those involving treatment sites subject to respiratory motion, such as the lower lobes of the lungs, liver, and pancreas. Studies have shown that tumours of the liver can move up to 10 mm or more during respiration, and lung lesions can move up to 20 mm. Without proper motion management the target volume may be underdosed or surrounding healthy tissue may be overdosed.
The ZiFix™ is designed to suppress tumour and organ motion effectively and reliably, providing positional consistency between imaging, simulation, and radiotherapy treatment. The patent-pending system features a compression paddle contoured to conform to the patient's anatomy, which improves patient comfort and compliance.
The ZiFix has already received praise from centres across the UK who have implemented the system into their pathway. Aileen Duffton, Lead Research Radiographer at Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre explains, ‘Initially we were looking for a low-cost abdominal compression device that would allow us to reduce organ motion for clinical trials patients. One of the main benefits we have seen from using the device is that MRI can be safely acquired with patients compressed in treatment position. The device has been useful in reducing target motion which has also reduced their planning target volume, making them suitable for treatment with an ablative dose. The ZiFix has allowed us to plan and deliver multi-site treatments by mitigating motion and reducing PTV. This has helped to achieve a set-up where organ at risk dose would have otherwise been excessive.’
ZiFix™ is manufactured by Qfix. Oncology Imaging Systems is pleased to offer the ZiFix abdominal and thoracic motion management system in the UK and Ireland.