The Department of Radiation Oncology at Orlando Health UFHealth Cancer Center occupies the ground floor of the Lewis Pavilion, and has a full complement of radiation devices for cancer treatment, including 5 linear accelerators (linacs), a proton synchrocyclotron, and high dose rate brachytherapy. Over 150 patients are treated each day by the Department of Radiation Oncology. Dramatic advances have been made in radiation oncology technology over the last several decades, and it is important to refresh the treatment technology as the equipment ages.

The oldest linac in the Department of Radiation Oncology was a Varian Cliniac-IX, SN 1087, which was manufactured and installed in 2005.  The unit has intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) capabilities, and had been used primarily for breast cancer treatment in our facility. The project replaces SN1087 with a Truebeam, which is Varian’s latest linac and is the first truly computer-controlled linac supplied by Varian. It provides fully integrated motion management and surface tracking capabilities, both of which are important for cardiac-sparing breast cancer treatments. Furthermore, the unit provides higher dose rates, rotational IMRT capabilities, and advanced imaging techniques, all of which allow the unit to treat other clinical indications, such as prostate, lung, or head and neck cancers. 

Lastly, this machine will be identical to existing Truebeam linacs at our freestanding satellite facilities in Lake Mary, at Health Central Hospital, and at Dr. Phillips Hospital. This will increase planning and QA efficiency, as well as allow OH to more easily transfer patients to different facilities within their network. During renovation, installation, and commissioning of the new Truebeam, patient treatments were accommodated on one of the four other linacs at the Lewis Pavilion, or at one of the four regional care centers.