MR Linac

MR-Linac is an MRI technology used in the field of radiation oncology that allows clear imaging of tumor tissue with special measurement and targeting. At Liv Hospital Ulus Hospital, we reduce the treatment sessions of our patients by protecting the surrounding tissues with the MR Linac Unity 1.5 Tesla, which we prefer for many of our patients who need radiotherapy.

MR-Linac Unity treatment, which is individually planned, has the ability to separate tumor tissue from normal tissues. With its privileged aspects such as sensitive imaging technology and tissue imaging, it can be applied to tumors in the brain, neck and abdomen, and to areas where beam positioning is difficult, such as the heart, kidney, stomach and spinal cord.

MR-Linac at Liv Hospital

Liv Hospital is a healthcare institution that offers advanced cancer treatment using MR-Linac technology. MR-Linac combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology with a linear accelerator, allowing real-time imaging and treatment. This innovative technology offers the ability to precisely target cancer cells, causing minimal damage to surrounding tissues. The use of MR-Linac at Liv Hospital aims to improve patient outcomes by making cancer treatment processes more effective and personalized. This technology is used as part of a multidisciplinary approach to provide greater precision and control during treatment planning and implementation.

What are the Advantages of MR-Linac?

We prefer this technology in patients who require radiotherapy and can enter an MRI machine. MR-Linac Unity, 1.5 Tesla;

• It is a technology that can be applied to many patients who are not suitable for radiation therapy or whose treatment is doubtful.
• With this technology, which separates tumor tissues from blood vessels and bony structures, it is possible to clearly see soft tissues.
• It is an ideal treatment method, especially for tumors affecting organs such as the lungs or upper abdomen that move while breathing. It can also be preferred in areas of the heart, stomach, kidney, brain and spinal cord that are difficult to irradiate.
• It allows moving tumors to be seen clearly.
• It can protect healthy tissues, blood vessels and organs.
• It allows more effective doses of radiation to be delivered to the tumor.
• It is a technology that can reduce the number of sessions for patients depending on the dose level to be preferred.
• It is possible to understand whether the patient’s tumor is mobile or not. In this way, tumor mobility can be monitored and followed when the patient holds or exhales his breath.

In Which Areas Is MR-Linac Unity 1.5 Tesla Effective?

Today, 6/7 of many cancer types involve soft tissue anatomy. This feature makes it difficult to visualize the tumor area and reduces the effectiveness of the treatment. With MR Linac Unity, 1.5 Tesla, we aim to increase the comfort of our patients’ lives by obtaining successful results in many types of metastatic cancer, intra-abdominal, lung, prostate, pancreas and liver tumors.

Detailed list of areas where MR-Linac Unity, 1.5 Tesla is used:

• Pancreatic cancers that are inoperable or partially suitable for surgery
• Pelvic tumors
• Colon cancer
• Uterine and cervical cancers
• Rectal cancers that are not suitable for surgery
• Adrenal gland cancers and metastases
• Gastric cancer
• Lung and liver cancers
• Prostate cancer
• breast cancer
• bladder cancer
• vaginal cancer
• Abdominal masses
• Soft tissue sarcoma
• fallopian tube cancer
• Liver hepatocellular carcinoma
• Early stage breast cancer
• Abdominal tumors
• Venter tumors

How Effective Is MR-Linac in Response to Treatment?

The only MRI technology approved by the FDA, used in the field of radiotherapy within the United States Department of Health, that can respond to treatment in tumors such as head-neck, brain, liver and rectum, is MR-Linac Unity, 1.5 Tesla. This technology is a very important guide in planning the treatment to be applied after radiotherapy in all tumor types and especially in brain tumors.

How Many Sessions Does MR-Linac Treatment Take?

The duration of treatment depends on the movement and shape of the tumor. Although there is no limit on the number of sessions, it can be said that it takes an average of 4-6 sessions. MR-Linac can treat tumors with higher doses than other technologies. The average treatment time per day is between 20 and 60 minutes.

How is MR-Linac Treatment Done?

• Treatment with MR-Linac technology is planned in 3 stages:
• The scanning phase is to monitor daily changes in the patient’s anatomy with daily patient MRI scans.
• The planning phase is the creation of the treatment to take into account changes in the environment to tailor the treatment plan to the patient.
• The treatment phase is administered simultaneously with continuous target imaging throughout radiation therapy.