RapidArc - VMAT - Austin Center for Radiation Oncology

At the Austin Center for Radiation Oncology, our cancer patients benefit from the RapidArc radiation delivery system – a brand of Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT). RapidArc allows our Varian Triology linear accelerator machine to deliver variable, uninterrupted doses of radiation during a 360 degree sweep of the patient.

Benefits of RapidArc

There are several ways in which patients benefit when utilizing VMAT. Historically, patients undergoing Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) would be exposed to high doses of radiation at up to seven specified areas around the body. The machine would rotate around the body, stopping at numerous intervals to treat the cancer from different angles. With RapidArc technology, the machine is in constant motion with the ability to deliver radiation during the entire treatment. In addition, doses can be modulated (or adjusted) so that radiation is increased when targeting specific areas of tumor. This technology allows the cancer to be treated three-dimensionally.

Precise dosing also allows providers to target the tumor while sparing normal tissue within close proximity to the cancer. Patients receive the exact amount of radiation that they need, directed at the exact locations, within a few short minutes. When treating patients, our goal is to target and kill the cancer, while minimizing injurious effects to nearby, healthy tissue and organs.

If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and would like to learn more about RapidArc, contact the Austin Center for Radiation Oncology to schedule a consultation.