Michigan proton therapy center marks first patient treatment using a Monaco proton plan
Treatment results showed better dose distribution and critical organ sparing using Monaco for nonmelanoma skin cancer
The first patient treated using a Monaco® proton plan has successfully completed proton beam therapy at the Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital Proton Therapy Center (Royal Oak, Michigan, USA). The center is piloting the treatment planning system.
Dr. Rohan Deraniyagala, radiation oncologist and medical director of the proton therapy center, utilized the Monaco planning system to provide the optimum dose control to a lesion, a squamous cell carcinoma on the temple of a male patient, located near the eye. Radiation therapy was selected to avoid the morbidity of surgery, and proton therapy was the preferred option due to the curved surface of the skin cancer lesion and its proximity to the eye. The prescribed dose to the target was 70 Gy, delivered in 35 fractions over seven weeks.
“Proton therapy was desirable to achieve a uniform dose distribution along the curved surface of the lesion, while sparing the eye and lacrimal gland,” says Dr. Deraniyagala.
Monaco’s proton planning capabilities were designed to enhance clinical confidence by enabling clinicians to create high-quality, accurate and robust proton therapy plans. It achieves this with maximum efficiency and control, utilizing intuitive biological optimization to minimize trial and error. This approach helps simplify even the most complex clinical scenarios. The optimizer places the dose intelligently, automatically sparing healthy tissue while maintaining optimal target dose.
Use of the Monaco plan was seamless and efficient in terms of figuring out the critical structures and dose distribution.
“The patient tolerated the treatment extremely well and the lesion on his skin has completely resolved at this time.”
“The patient tolerated the treatment extremely well and the lesion on his skin has completely resolved at this time,” he adds.
Partnering to optimize proton therapy workflows
Developed by Elekta in close collaboration with IBA, Monaco’s proton planning functionality was designed to maximize interoperability and the potential of IBA’s proton therapy devices. The partnership led to the development of a seamless, integrated workflow, a readiness for modern requirements and future advances, such as linear energy transfer (LET)-guided plan optimization and dynamic proton arc therapy. Monaco is now the first commercial treatment planning system to gain FDA clearance for LET optimization and dynamic arc functionality, designed for both Proteus® PLUS and Proteus® ONE systems.
“Similar to the development of VMAT for photon linacs, I believe we will see a paradigm shift in future clinical practice with the implementation of proton arc therapy.”
“Similar to the development of VMAT for photon linacs, I believe we will see a paradigm shift in future clinical practice with the implementation of proton arc therapy,” explains Xuanfeng (Leo) Ding, PhD, lead medical physicist and associate professor, Proton Beam Therapy Center at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital. “The collaboration between Elekta and IBA will help to advance availability of this technology to routine clinical settings and provide clinical teams use of a single TPS platform.”
Helping drive proton therapy forward
In addition to Monaco, Elekta’s partnership with IBA has enabled the company to provide a complete software solution for proton therapy providers with proton-specific tools and features that help clinicians simplify workflows, improve safety and enhance efficiency.
By integrating device-centric efficiencies, faster processes and seamless interoperability, the Elekta ONE ecosystem – including Elekta ONE | OIS powered by MOSAIQ, Elekta ONE | Planning powered by MIM*, Elekta ONE | Plan Analytics powered by ProKnow, Elekta ONE | Analytics and Elekta ONE | Patient Companion powered by Kaiku Health – offers a unified software experience that allows clinicians to plan, manage and execute proton-specific workflows.
Learn how the Elekta ONE ecosystem can enhance proton therapy care.
*Elekta ONE | Planning powered by MIM and Monaco may not be available in all markets.
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