FEBRUARY 23 • 2023 | 47

unit allows you to do is offer 
truly personalized radiation 
treatment by recontouring the 
key areas of concern while the 
patient is on the table and opti-
mizing the radiation plan on 
the fly.”

REAL-WORLD SUCCESSES
Dr. Parag Parikh, leader of the 
MRI-guided radiation program 
at Henry Ford, specializes in 
gastrointestinal cancers, includ-
ing pancreatic cancer, which 
is particularly challenging to 
treat. 
“Not only are they difficult 
cancers, but they also tend to 
move a lot because as you’re 
breathing, organs in the abdo-
men are moving all the time 
along with the diaphragm,” 
Parikh explained.
Parikh has been using the 
adaptive radiation with his 
pancreatic cancer patients and 
just presented an international 
study that he led which showed 
he was able to treat pancreatic 
cancers in only five precision 
treatments of Stereotactic 
MRI-guided Adaptive RT (or 
SMART).
“Not the traditional five 
weeks, but five days,” Parikh 

said. “Because of the millimeter 
accuracy and real-time adap-
tive planning, patients showed 
no serious adverse events, 
which was the goal of the clin-
ical trial. There was also an 
early signal that survival rates 
looked promising.” 
This was the largest study in 
the world of ablative (stereo-
tactic) radiation for pancreatic 
cancer.
In another study of pros-
tate cancer patients who were 
randomly assigned CAT-scan 
based treatment (a standard 
of care across the globe) or 
MRI-guided focused radiation, 
it was shown that patients 
experienced significantly fewer 
side effects and better qual-
ity of life by using the MRI-
guided approach. Dr. Aharon 
Feldman, senior staff radiation 
oncologist at HFH-Cancer, 
together with the team, offers 
this latest treatment option 
for patients, which can also be 
completed in only five treat-
ment sessions.
“There are more and more 
exciting data emerging that 
show us this MRI-guided 
radiation treatment truly helps 
patients,” Movsas said.

ISRAELI DOCTORS REACT
Movsas said the Israeli doctors 
spent quite a bit of time talking 
to the experts at HFH. “They 
were also able to see our work-
flow and were amazed to see 
the teamwork and coordination 
it takes to ensure the patients 
were getting the very best treat-
ment.” 
Henry Ford Health is also a 
leader in another related novel 
technology called CT-Guided 
Adaptive radiation, which also 
improves imaging that allows 
doctors to adapt in real time. 
“We are proud to be one of 
the only cancer centers in the 
world with both MRI-guided 
and CT-guided adaptive radia-
tion programs,” Movsas said.

“We were impressed by the 
team’s dedication and knowl-
edge, as well as their use of 
advanced MRI-based radiation 
for patient benefit,” said Dr. 
Yaacov Lawrence, interim chair 
of radiation oncology at Sheba 
Medical Center. “Patients in 
Michigan and beyond are ben-
efiting from this cutting-edge 
department.
“We hope to acquire an MRI 
LINAC in the coming year,” he 
added. 

While at HFH, Lawrence 
presented and discussed 
Sheba’s work on novel radiation 
techniques to overcome pain in 
pancreatic cancer.
“We look forward to deep-
ening relations with the HFH 
team regarding both training 
and future research togeth-
er,” Lawrence said. “Our 
dream would be to create a 
common Sheba-Henry Ford 
Health research program that 
would further collaboration 
between our institutions for 
patient benefit on both sides of 
the Atlantic.”
Dr. Aaron Allen, execu-
tive vice chair of Radiation 
Oncology at Shaare Zedek 
Cancer Center, trained at the 
University of Michigan in 
Radiation Oncology and said 
it’s great to see how Henry Ford 
has not only become a leader 
in cancer care but also how Dr. 
Movsas has taken Henry Ford 
Health-Cancer to the next level 
in becoming an international 
center for research and train-
ing. 
“The entire team at Henry 
Ford were very warm and 
generous with their time. It 
was worth every minute of 
the long trip from Israel to see 
the excellence and innovation 
going on at Henry Ford Health.
“We look forward to con-
tinuing the Israeli-Henry Ford 
Health partnership in the 
future,” Allen added.
“We do too!” exclaimed 
Movsas, who feels very hon-
ored that these teams from 
Israel all came to Henry Ford 
Health to see the exciting MRI-
guided radiation program in 
action.

Benjamin Movsas lives in 
Southfield with his wife, Dr. 
Tammy Movsas. They have 
four married daughters, all 
involved in health care, and six 
grandchildren. 
A group of Henry Ford oncology experts and international physicians who traveled to Detroit to see and 
learn more about ViewRay MRIdian. 

