State-of-the-art treatment at the Lyon University Hospital
Every year in France, nearly 3,000 cervical cancers are detected in women, and 1,000 women die from it. One of the possible treatments is radiotherapy. In Lyon, patients can be treated with a particularly precise device, the MRI-Linac Unity.
“Until now we had scanographic images to identify the areas to be treated. Today, with this machine, it is possible to obtain MRI image quality, better than scanner quality. We manage to better target the area, to see if the tumors respond to the treatment. We will be able to see if the tumor is decreasing in size, and adapt the irradiation beam to limit it to the areas concerned. “, explains Professor Olivier Chapet, head of the oncology radiotherapy department at the CHU de Lyon.
Thanks to the MRI-Linac Unity, the tumor is correctly targeted and the other organs are less affected, which makes it possible to avoid side effects. “The uterus is a mobile organ, and so is the cervix. Depending on whether the bladder is more or less full, the uterus will move back and forth. By doing these MRIs, we can see the position of the cervix at time T, and target it with precision. If Lyon is the only city in France to benefit from this system, it should be democratized in the years to come. According to Olivier Chapet, the Rennes cancer center should soon be equipped with a similar machine.