Equipped with advanced beam-shaping and high dose rate delivery technologies, King Abdulaziz University Hospital’s (KAUH) Versa HD system is enabling physicians to treat cancer patients with a new, unprecedented combination of accuracy and speed. On November 2, KAUH treated its first patient with Versa HD. Since then, 70 new patients have started their treatments with the system.

“We had been looking for an advanced radiation therapy system that integrated well in our current department setup,” says Prof. Yasir Bahadur, KAUH’s vice dean faculty of medicine and radiotherapy unit chairman.

“We already have been using Elekta Synergy linear accelerator, Monaco treating planning, MOSAIQ and brachytherapy systems for some time. Versa HD fits in well and provides Agility beam-shaping for high-precision radiotherapy and High Dose Rate mode to reduce beam delivery time.”

Most Versa HD treatments at KAUH are performed using the Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) technique, in which radiation therapy is delivered in one or more uninterrupted arcs, thereby reducing treatment time versus conventional step-and-shoot delivery. As the hospital’s clinicians gain more experience with the system, they plan to begin stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatments in early 2016.

“Our initial experience with Versa HD has been promising,” Prof. Bahadur says. “Saudi Arabia is using cutting-edge radiation therapy technology in the vast majority of the country’s centers. In our opinion this trend will continue, so we anticipate that demand for advanced technology will increase. KAUH is not only a patient-centered organization, but an academic institution as well. Therefore, we are looking forward to acquiring technology that is beneficial for our patients, in addition to sustainable partnerships for educating and training our students and young professionals.”