Radiation Oncology - IMRT Technology

Upcoming in Radiation Oncology at Middlesex Hospital Cancer Center

What is the Novalis Tx®?

A new addition to the Radiation Oncology Department will soon significantly enhance the quality of care for patients with a wide range of cancers. When our Novalis Tx® linear accelerator debuts this spring, the Center will become one of the first cancer treatment facilities in Connecticut to offer this technology. 

The Novalis Tx® is a state-of-the-are image-guided treatment device, enabling radiation oncologists to pinpoint tumors with unprecedented accuracy and, consequently, deliver more precise and higher doses of radiation.  That means more effective radiation treatment with less damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

The Novalis Tx® can deliver x-rays with pinpoint accuracy to tumors of the brain, the spine, the lungs, the liver and other organs.  This sophisticated new device also enables clinicians to treat some tumors that have spread to other parts of the body, many of which would have been considered untreatable not long ago.

Because it can deliver high doses of radiation very accurately, the Novalis Tx® has the potential for reducing the number of radiation sessions many patients need.  The duration of each session, when compared to that of other, similar treatment devices, is also reduced.

“With most tumors, the higher the dose of radiation, the better the response,” says radiation oncologist Anwar Khan M.D.  “If you can be more accurate with radiation delivery, you can be more bold with your treatment.”