Park Nicollet Cancer Center recently became the first cancer center in Minnesota to offer Novalis® shaped beam robotic surgery. This advanced cancer-fighting radiation technology targets and treats tumors in as little as 15 minutes to 20 minutes per session. Novalis uses beams shaped to match the exact contour of cancerous tumors.

Novalis allows doctors to precisely pinpoint and treat tumors in difficult areas of the body, including the brain, spinal cord, prostate and liver. Irregularly shaped tumors receive full doses of radiation, minimizing the risk of damage to surrounding healthy tissue. “Cancer is not round or square, it is whatever shape it happens to be, and that can be very irregular,” Robert Haselow, MD, radiation oncologist with Park Nicollet Cancer Center and Minneapolis Radiation Oncology, says. “With Novalis, we can match the shape of the radiation beam to the shape of the cancer for more localized treatment.”

New hope
This new technology has provided many patients with hope. Carolyn Kranz, an avid piano player, believed she was free from breast cancer back in 1999 after she completed 12 sessions of chemotherapy and 29 sessions of radiation therapy. However, in 2006, she began experiencing pain in her back and abdomen. MRI and CT scans conducted at Park Nicollet Cancer Center revealed her breast cancer had spread to her spine and pelvis.

Carolyn, now 54, was in a great deal of pain because the tumor had wrapped around her spine, which caused a compression fracture. Doctors were hesitant to use conventional radiation therapy since there was a chance radiation would damage her spinal cord. Left untreated, however, the tumor could cause paralysis.

Her care team, led by Dr. Haselow, decided Carolyn was the perfect candidate for treatment using Novalis. “I’m fortunate,” Carolyn says. “And I believe there is a reason Novalis was installed just as I was going through all of this.”

Sophisticated software
Novalis uses sophisticated imaging software to determine the size and location of a tumor. This allows for fast localization of treatment, decreases radiation exposure and minimizes the risk of patients moving during procedures. This system administers much larger doses of radiation to more precise areas than traditional radiation therapy.

To treat the cancer on her spine and help manage her pain, Carolyn required four Novalis sessions, which is average, according to Dr. Haselow. “Usually one to five treatments are needed. Sessions are usually delivered within one to two weeks,” he says. Each Novalis treatment session generally takes 20 minutes to 60 minutes, including the time it takes to position patients on the customized table.

Precise radiation locations are determined by calculations made by the entire care team, which commonly includes a radiation oncologist, three physicists and two radiation technicians. “They mapped out the size, shape and location of my tumor so they could zap it without affecting my spinal cord,” Carolyn explains. “It was truly a team effort from a lot of experts, which gave me great confidence.”

Many advantages
Novalis is effective for some patients who have received prior radiation treatments, and for patients with inoperable cancers. Advantages of the Novalis system include little to no pain for patients and a reduced amount of damage to healthy tissues. In addition, the treatment is considered minimally invasive because no cutting is involved.

For Carolyn, Novalis saved her from a more invasive surgical procedure. “We thought this was a more tolerable and safer approach,” Dr. Haselow says. “Her situation is a great example of the benefits we get from having more treatment options. If she went through regular surgery, there would have been a significant risk of spinal injury. We could have treated it with conventional radiation, but I do not think it would have been as effective,” he adds.

Carolyn is pleased with the results of her treatment and her pain is now under control. “It takes a lot of trust to be the first to undergo a treatment, but advances are being made all the time. It is important to be open to new treatments and medications,” she says. “I am honored to have been the first Novalis patient at Park Nicollet Cancer Center. Throughout the treatment, I felt cared for, fortunate and blessed.”

For more information about Novalis, and to see if you are a candidate for treatment, consult your doctor or call 952-993-6032.