Elekta has received an order to supply advanced radiation therapy technology and information management software to the University of Liege Hospital (CHU Liege).
The order is valued at more than Euros 3 million and installation is scheduled to begin in March 2008. CHU Liege Radiation Therapy runs the largest radiation oncology centre network in Belgium with 2,600 patients treated annually. The department is lead by Professor Philippe A Coucke who has launched an ambitious strategy to upgrade the capability of the network to perform radiation therapy with the latest techniques. The ambition is to bring CHU Liege to a leading role among European cancer centres, both clinically and in scientific research. Equipped with five radiation therapy systems from other vendors, CHU Liege has as a first step selected Elekta Synergy S to expand and improve treatment capacity with advanced treatment technology, capable of supplying high doses of radiation while minimising exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. Elekta Synergy S is an image-guided robotic digital linear accelerator that combines integrated 3D imaging abilities with powerful high-resolution radiation delivery. At CHU Liege, Elekta Synergy S will enable specialists to perform both stereotactic Radiotherapy and Radiosurgery throughout the body. Essentially, Elekta Synergy S provides the two most important ingredients for improved patient outcomes: 2D and ultra low dose 3D image-guided accuracy and highly conformal beam shaping. This enables the radiation oncology staff to use extremely precise and accurate techniques on small tumours close to critical structures, while at the same time being flexible enough to handle a large majority of the cases presented in a radiation therapy department. In parallel, Elekta is now upgrading the information management system at CHU Liege to Mosaiq, the new image-enabled electronical medical records (EMR) system from Elekta. Mosaiq is specifically adapted for oncology with fully integrated department management features such as scheduling, management reports, analysis, image storage and retrieval. “Elekta Synergy S will definitely help us to better serve cancer patients in the Liege area. Its 3D Volumetric X-ray imaging capability and high resolution beam shaping will be of great advantage, specifically for patients with tumours close to critical organs”, says Professor Philippe A Coucke, head of the Radiation Therapy Department at CHU Liege. “We are also excited about installing Mosaiq, connecting treatment equipment from several different vendors into one network, allowing all clinical staff to have the full patient record easily available at all time. What this boils down to is that doctors and nurses can spend less time with administration and more time with patients. A clear gain in patient quality.” “We are very pleased to partner with CHU Liege in the effort to improve cancer care. With our proven treatment technology and comprehensive information management systems, we are confident that Elekta will contribute to better and more efficient treatment for cancer patients in the Liege region”, comments Jos Verzelen, managing director of Elekta Belgium. |
