Santa Casa Hospital in Ceará, Brazil, Introduces New Linear Accelerator for Cancer Treatment

Santa Casa de Sobral Hospital in northern Ceará, Brazil, has introduced a new linear accelerator to strengthen cancer treatment for patients in the northern region. The hospital received a new linear accelerator for radiotherapy of cancer patients. After completing the installation, training, and licensing processes, this new technology is expected to double the institution's radiotherapy capacity, increasing from the current 600 patients per month to approximately 1,200 new patients.

This equipment, the Halcyon linear accelerator, is considered the latest technology in radiotherapy and is the second unit of its kind installed in Ceará. The device is capable of providing faster, more precise, and safer treatment for various types of cancer, combined with advanced features of image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), thereby ensuring precise delivery of radiation doses and protecting healthy tissues surrounding the tumor.

This acquisition was made possible through a decree from the Brazilian Federal Ministry of Health, with an investment of R$7.15 million. To accommodate the equipment, Santa Casa Hospital invested R$3.5 million of its own funds to build a bunker, a specially designed structure that ensures radiation isolation and safety during equipment operation. Currently, the equipment is in the installation phase, with Varian Medical Systems responsible for assembling the machine's mechanical, electrical, and refrigeration systems.

Subsequently, on-site training will be provided for the radiotherapy team, including physicians, medical physicists, nurses, and technicians. After installation is completed, the equipment will undergo approximately three months of testing, validation, and quality control, as well as the licensing process with the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) and the National Nuclear Safety Authority (ANSN). During this period, capacity building for the support team will also be completed.

In addition to expanding treatment capacity, the Halcyon offers more advanced treatment techniques such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), which allow for more precise distribution of radiation doses, reducing exposure to healthy tissues and decreasing treatment side effects. Another innovation is imaging performed before each radiotherapy session, a feature that confirms the patient's exact position before radiation is delivered, thereby enhancing safety and treatment quality.