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Texas Oncology Among the First Free-Standing Clinics in U.S. to Boast New Cancer-Fighting Technologies

Patients of Texas Oncology–Fort Worth 8^th Avenue are among the first in the nation to have access to new, state-of-the-art radiation equipment that provides faster and more accurate treatment for a wide variety of cancers.

Texas Oncology–Fort Worth 8^th Avenue is now using a Novalis Tx^™ stereotactic radiosurgery system and RapidArc^™ radiotherapy. This system is the first of its kind in Tarrant County. Texas Oncology–Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas and Texas Oncology–Tyler in Tyler are among the free-standing cancer centers in the United States using Novalis Tx.  

Novalis Tx is a powerful radiosurgery and radiotherapy system that delivers precisely focused, high-energy radiation to a localized area very quickly, enabling doctors to treat otherwise unapproachable, inoperable tumors. The system’s platform allows for intricately customized settings that enable treatments to be highly targeted and accurate.

“We’re excited that our patients are among the first in the nation to receive the benefits of this much improved technology,” said Dr. Jerry Barker, Jr., radiation oncologist, Texas Oncology–Fort Worth 8^th Avenue. “Not only does it allow us to deliver highly accurate radiation to both malignant and benign tumors, but it works with several types of cancers as well.”

Cancers that will be treated by the system include those within the brain, head and neck, pancreas, liver, prostate, and lungs. Because the system is so accurate, nearby healthy tissue is protected from damaging radiation, meaning larger doses of radiation can be delivered to the tumor with each treatment, and recovery times can be much shorter.

Most patients will find their treatments take less time with Novalis Tx than if they were treated using previous-generation technology such as a Cyberknife.

“Significantly shorter treatments will improve the comfort levels of our patients and Novalis Tx potentially offers a radiobiologic advantage versus other radiosurgery platforms such as the Cyberknife and Gamma Knife, which have longer treatment times,” Barker said.

In addition to the use of Novalis Tx, patients will benefit from Texas Oncology–Fort Worth 8^th Avenue’s implementation of RapidArc, a fast, precise form of radiotherapy which is two to eight times faster than conventional radiotherapy. RapidArc operates with a linear accelerator, a machine that generates high-powered X-rays and rotates around a patient as he or she lies on a treatment couch, delivering beams from any angle. RapidArc shortens treatment times by necessitating only one rotation by the machine, rather than several.

“Like Novalis Tx, RapidArc technology will enable us to target some types of cancer accurately while sparing more healthy tissue,” said Barker. “RapidArc will be much easier on the patient. It’s hard for people to hold still for long periods of time. By delivering doses more quickly, we can simultaneously improve the quality of care and make our patients more comfortable.”

Texas Oncology–Fort Worth 8^th Avenue’s RapidArc technology also delivers image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) very quickly, in a single rotation of the treatment machine around the patient.

As part of the US Oncology network, Texas Oncology–Fort Worth 8^th Avenue brings many benefits to area cancer patients, including access to nationwide research and clinical trials of promising new drugs. In addition to Novalis Tx stereotactic radiosurgery and RapidArc radiotherapy, other radiation modalities used at Texas Oncology–Fort Worth 8^th Avenue include IMRT, image guided radiation therapy (IGRT), 3‑D conformal radiation therapy, and High Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy.