HEALTH & FITNESS

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Cutting Edge

Beaumont's new Omnibeam is reducing radiation treatments by half.

4 9111t

Alvaro Martinez, M.D., right, assisted by radiation physicist Geoffrey Hugo, Ph.D.,

explains Omnibeam therapy to a patient.

W

hen Royal Oak-based
Beaumont Hospital's Daniel
Krauss, M.D., asked prostate
cancer patient Andrew Misner if he
would like to participate in a research
study that uses the most advanced radia-
tion treatment to cut his therapy time in
half, Misner jumped at the chance.
After all, he's got things to do. He and
his wife Helen have a place Up North.
And the Misners love to visit Disney
World in Orlando with their three chil-
dren and six grandchildren.
"I liked that program:' says the retired
Lathrup Village police chief. "As long as
it works."
The program Misner is referring to is
a research study using Omnibeam, the
next generation of radiation therapy that
is painless, faster, more accurate and pre-
cise than other treatments. It is powered
by medical equipment manufacturer
Elekta's Axesse technology.
The research conducted by Dr. Krauss
and his Beaumont colleagues is testing
whether 20 treatments with the advanced
technology, at almost twice the usual
dose per treatment, are as safe and effec-
tive as the usual 40-45 treatments.
Doctors are able to up the dose
because Omnibeam, a robotic technology,
is more precise than other treatments
and spares adjoining healthy tissue from
harm. The precision is made possible by

B4

March 27 • 2008

Radiation therapists Mary Graves, left, and Laura Cirenese prepare a patient for
Omnibeam treatment.

highly accurate, real-time 3-D CT imag-
The painless treatment takes about
ing that automatically adjusts the radia-
20 minutes and requires no implants
tion field during treatment to account for (except for patients involved in research)
a patient's external movements — and
or invasive procedures to prepare for
the natural repositioning of his inter-
therapy. It can be used to treat cancer
nal organs — from day to day or even
of the breast; prostate; lungs; and head
moment to moment.
and neck, as well as other cancers. It is
"You can make the radiation field
specially designed for the treatment of
adjustment man- -
tumors deep within
_ he research is testing
ually, but it takes. T
the body.
more time says
Beaumont Hospital
Dr. Krauss. "That whether 20 treatments
doctors and physi-
means the patient with advanced
cists invented and
is in the treat-
patented the $3.3-
ment room longer technology at almost
million technology
and increases
and have been using
twice the radiation dose it to treat patients
the chances of
patient movement
as Misner since
are as safe and effective such
and potentially
September.
reduces treatment as the usual 40-45
Alvaro Martinez,
accuracy:'
M.D., the chief of
treatments.
In addition,
Beaumont's radiation
Omnibeam
oncology depart-
adjusts the treat-
ment, was inspired
ment table on which a patient lies to
to "marry" CT imaging with a medical
provide unparalleled pinpoint accuracy
linear accelerator when, while attending
in targeting cancer cells. Adjusting the
a medical symposium in Dearborn, he
radiation field and table means the
stumbled upon a meeting of Ford Motor
radiation treatment is precisely targeted
Company automotive engineers who
to kill cancer cells, destroying them while were using imaging to detect defects in
protecting surrounding healthy tissue
engine blocks. It took more than five
or organs. The patient has better cancer
years for the Beaumont team to adapt
control and fewer undesirable side effects and perfect the auto technology for can-
and a better outcome as a result.
cer radiation treatment.

Misner, 80, of Royal Oak is happy they
did. He was diagnosed after his family
doctor did an annual PSA, a blood test
commonly used to detect prostate cancer,
followed by a biopsy by his urologist.
Misner's Gleason score, which indi-
cates the severity of the disease, was
nine. The highest possible score is 10.
"It's the kind of cancer that'll kill you:'
he says.
His Omnibeam treatment started Oct.
29. His last visit was Nov. 26.
There was no physical difference for
him at the beginning, but for the last
three weeks of his treatment he had some
pain and constipation.
He visits his urologist April 1 for fol-
low-up.

❑

Dr. Daniel
Krauss
Age: 34
Residence:
Birmingham
Synagogue:
Temple Beth El,
\
Bloomfield Twp.
Dr. Daniel Krauss
Education:
University of
Michigan, Wayne State University
School of Medicine, Detroit
Family: Wife Barbara, daughter
Jordyn, 4, and son Brett, 2