MR-Linac

Doctors at Sunnybrook's Odette Cancer Centre can now watch a beam of radiation move through a patient's body in real time and direct that beam precisely at a tumour. In the past, they could only estimate where a tumour might be based on images taken before the radiation treatment begins.

This new technology is called MR-Linac and it is the first machine in the world to combine radiation and high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This hybrid technology lets doctors at the Odette Cancer Centre target tumours and monitor their response to radiation with unprecedented precision – even as a tumour moves inside the body – thanks to the machine's real-time MRI guidance.

Physicians will also be better able to avoid radiating and harming healthy tissue that surrounds tumours.

The MR-Linac will eventually be used to treat a wide range of cancers, from pancreatic to prostate to breast to incurable brain cancers.

As the first Canadian centre to install an MR-Linac, Sunnybrook's team remains at the forefront of cancer care, and an invaluable source of expertise and teaching for cancer ablation specialists across the country.

Information for patients

Are you a patient who wants to learn more about the MR-Linac, or who is interested in participating in a clinical trial using this machine?