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A liver treatment protocol utilizing SBRT, developed and introduced by Percy Lee, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the University of California – Los Angeles' (UCLA) Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, is providing hope to patients awaiting liver transplantation.
Dr. Lee, who initiated the use of SBRT for liver treatment at UCLA two years ago, said the introduction of precise radiation treatments through Novalis® Radiosurgery is opening a world of new possibilities to clinicians and their patients.
"In the past, physicians hesitated giving patients awaiting liver transplantation radiation treatment, because a broad application was considered far too toxic," said Dr. Lee. "Using Novalis Radiosurgery we can deliver very high doses of radiation to precise locations in the liver, minimizing liver toxicity and controlling tumor growth. By minimizing toxicity, patients are able to maintain their health and are more likely to be considered candidates for liver transplantation."
Dr. Lee's treatment protocol, which also incorporates chemotherapy, has shown to not only control tumors in the liver, but to also reduce complications once the liver transplantation has occurred.
"More than 4,000 liver transplants are conducted in the United States each year, and UCLA's liver transplant program has grown to become one of the most active in the world. When an effective treatment protocol such as this is introduced into an environment such as UCLA and shared with clinicians around the world through the Novalis Circle, there is an immediate impact felt across the medical community," said Dr. Lee.
"While future advancements in health care will continue to rely heavily upon technology, clinicians around the world are recognizing the value that clinica
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