BC Cancer Foundation - Winter 2015 - (Page 7)

RESEARCHER PROFILE Meet Dr. Rasika Rajapakshe Improving the delivery of radiation therapy treatments Senior Medical Physicist Dr. Rasika Rajapakshe and his colleagues at the BC Cancer Agency Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre for the Southern Interior (BCCA SAHCSI) are working to improve patient care with the creation of a new program that looks to reduce complications associated with External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT). DISCOVERY spoke with Dr. Rajapakshe to learn more about the benefits of this valuable program, which is funded by the BC Cancer Foundation. DISCOVERY: What takes place when a patient undergoes EBRT? DR. RAJAPAKSHE: EBRT is an advanced type of radiation treatment that optimizes the amount of radiation reaching a patient's tumour while limiting damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. During EBRT, a linear accelerator rotates around a patient who is lying on a treatment table. New techniques in EBRT have increased the probability for collisions between the linear accelerator and the patient; if it appears that a collision is about to occur, treatment delivery is then stopped and the treatment replanned. This results in delays and overall discomfort and anxiety for the patient involved. DISCOVERY: Can you tell us about the program that aims to reduce these potential collisions? DR. RAJAPAKSHE: I worked with Radiation Therapists Gail Murray and Leigh Bartha and UBC Okanagan computer science student Duncan Szarmes to look at creating a way to test for collisions prior to treatment delivery. Together, we built a graphical software tool (similar to a video game), which simulates EBRT treatments in 3D in order to predict collisions and allow treatment to be adjusted before it's actually administered. DISCOVERY: What impact has this program had on patients undergoing radiation treatment therapy? DR. RAJAPAKSHE: This program has been integrated into the regular treatment work cycle at the BCCA SAHCSI since November 2014, and all treatment plans checked with this software prior to delivery were either replanned due to the detection of a collision or delivered successfully without collision. This has saved a lot of time and resources and removed any treatment delays. DR. RASIKA RAJAPAKSHE DISCOVERY: Can you describe the role philanthropy plays with this program? DR. RAJAPAKSHE: The generosity of BC Cancer Foundation donors has provided significant support for this project. Continued support could help improve accuracy and add more features, truly benefiting patients who require these treatments. DISCOVERY: What do you see for the future of this program? DR. RAJAPAKSHE: We hope that one day this program will be available for cancer patients across Canada who are undergoing radiation treatment. With ongoing support, I definitely see this as a possibility. READ OUR BLOG! Get to know BC Cancer Agency researchers through the BC Cancer Foundation's monthly guest blogger series at bccancerfoundation.com/blog. BCCANCERFOUNDATION.COM 7 http://www.bccancerfoundation.com/blog http://www.BCCANCERFOUNDATION.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BC Cancer Foundation - Winter 2015

BC Cancer Foundation - Winter 2015
Opening Thoughts
Healthy Insights
Why I Give
Researcher Profile
A Monumental Leap in Cancer Treatment
Solving the Mystery of Treatment Failure
A Picture with Life- Saving Properties
Legacy Giving

BC Cancer Foundation - Winter 2015