New technology at the Arthur Child and the Cross is improving how brachytherapy is delivered across Alberta.
Undergoing brachytherapy can be physically demanding and emotionally difficult. The procedure is uncomfortable and anxietyprovoking, requiring patients to remain awake and still while being transferred between the procedure room and imaging suites.
Advanced technology within the brachytherapy suite at the Arthur Child now includes a mobile ring CT scanner. As one of only two cancer centres in Canada equipped with this technology, imaging, planning and treatment can now take place in a single space, meaning patients no longer need to be transported mid-procedure and can remain under anesthesia throughout the entire process.
The new setup is expanding what is possible during treatment. These advances are improving coordination across Alberta’s cancer centres while reinforcing the province’s leadership in brachytherapy care. For patients, the changes mean a smoother and more comfortable treatment experience.
“It’s a very gratifying job just to see that a patient gets treated at the appropriate time, recovers from cancer, and that’s all because you are one of those [links] in that big chain,” says Dr. Geetha Menon, senior medical physicist, at the Cross.
The provincial Brachytherapy Centre of Excellence, led by Dr. Tyler Meyer at the Arthur Child and Dr. Geetha Menon at the Cross, continues to strengthen collaboration, training and research in brachytherapy care.
At the Cross, the Centre of Excellence funding is helping to advance treatments through AI-supported models for planning and advanced 3D printing technology, allowing clinicians to create customized tools that improve precision during brachytherapy procedures.
Donor generosity continues to advance brachytherapy in Alberta, helping bring new technologies into practice and supporting the next generation of innovation.
“With access to these resources,” says Meyer, “there’s nothing holding us back. Donors are making the things we’ve wanted to do for our entire careers possible.”
