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What Is RapidArc® Radiation Therapy Treatment?

RapidArc radiotherapy technology, produced by Varian Medical Systems, is an extremely fast and precise form of image-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

Image guidance improves tumor targeting.

IMRT shapes the radiation dose so that it conforms closely to the 3D shape of your tumor.

This means more radiation to the tumor, and potentially less to nearby healthy tissue.

How Does RapidArc Radiotherapy Technology Work?

RapidArc’s image-guided technology:

  • Delivers complete IMRT with one or two rotations of the treatment machine around you.
  • Can treat the entire tumor volume with the radiation dose during one revolution of the machine.
  • Involves varying — or modulating — the intensity of the radiation therapy (in this case, high-energy x-rays) for treating cancer.

RapidArc Radiotherapy Treatment: What to Expect

The team of radiation therapists and physicists at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center:

  • Uses computer-generated images to custom-design your treatment plan.
  • Delivers a precise, tightly focused radiation dose that conforms to the shape of your tumor.
  • Limits the amount of radiation that reaches surrounding healthy tissues.

A major benefit of RapidArc is the speed of a treatment.

RapidArc delivers radiation with a single, 360-degree rotation of the linear accelerator. This takes less than two minutes.

Where Can I Receive RapidArc Treatments?

Contact Us About Radiation Oncology at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

To learn more about radiation treatments or to make an appointment you can: