TURIN, Italy, April 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Elekta today announced that its leading-edge high-field MR-guided linear accelerator (MR-linac) platform will be the focal point of seven scientific presentations at ESTRO 35, the annual meeting of the European Society for Radiotherapy & Oncology, taking place April 29 - May 3.

Elekta's MR-linac integrates a state-of-the-art radiotherapy system and a high-field MRI scanner with sophisticated software that allows a physician to clearly see the patient's anatomy in real time. The MR-linac is designed to improve targeting of tumor tissue while reducing exposure of normal tissue to radiation beams. It will allow physicians to precisely locate a tumor, as well as lock onto it during delivery, even when tumor tissue is moving during treatment or changes shape, location or size between treatment sessions.

At ESTRO 35, the potential of Elekta's MR-linac will be discussed in the following sessions:
- Abstract SP-0485: "MR-linac: Clinical Introduction"; Christopher Schultz, M.D., FACR, Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Froedert and Medical College of Wisconsin. May 2, 2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. This presentation will discuss the integration of MR-linac into current RT practice, the structure of the Elekta MR-linac Consortium and its plans to provide a robust body of evidence to support optimal development of MR-linac technology.

- Abstract OC-0549: "The effects of magnetic field and real-time tumor tracking on lung stereotactic body radiotherapy"; Martin J. Menten, a doctoral candidate at The Institute for Cancer Research, London. May 2, 4:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. This study demonstrates that use of Elekta's Monaco® treatment planning software accounts for the effects of magnetic field during treatment planning and enables the design of clinically acceptable lung stereotactic body RT with a MR-linac. The data also show that the magnetic field does not compromise the ability of real-time tumor tracking to decrease dose exposure to healthy tissue.

"To evaluate the effect of the magnetic field and real-time tumor tracking, we modelled several dose-volume metrics and the amount of energy that would be delivered to patients with lung tumors," explains Prof. Uwe Oelfke, MCCPM, FInstP, and Head of the Joint Department of Physics at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. "Real time tumor tracking would allow us to maintain dose coverage of gross tumor volume while reducing the dose delivered, which decreased exposure to skin and healthy lung tissue. This was observed with and without the presence of the magnetic field, demonstrating that Monaco effectively addresses the challenge posed by the interaction of the MRI with the delivery of radiation therapy."

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