UT Southwestern Medical CenterUTSW Among First in Nation to Offer Biology-guided Radiotherapy

UT Southwestern’s integration of PET imaging and radiotherapy in targeting bone and lung cancers is a win for precision medicine

UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Department of Radiation Oncology at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center has emerged as a frontrunner in cancer care, being one of the first in the nation and the first in Texas to implement a groundbreaking technology that merges positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with radiotherapy. This innovative approach, primarily focused on bone and lung cancers, utilizes the SCINTIX biology-guided radiotherapy (BgRT) delivered by the RefleXion X1 unit. This advancement marks a significant stride in precision medicine, offering hope to thousands diagnosed annually with these cancers.

Key Points:

1. Innovative Technology: SCINTIX BgRT, using the RefleXion X1 unit, is a novel approach in treating primary and metastatic bone and lung cancers, combining PET imaging with radiotherapy for precise treatment.
2. Targeting Cancer with Precision: The technology utilizes a radioactive tracer that interacts with cancer cells, allowing the system to use the tumor’s activity to target diseased tissue specifically.
3. Leadership in Brachytherapy: Dr. Aurelie Garant, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern, leads the Brachytherapy Program, highlighting the technology’s capability to assess tumors’ locations and biological signatures.
4. Challenges in Traditional Treatments: Traditional radiation therapy has been limited in treating multiple targets, an issue that SCINTIX potentially overcomes by effectively treating multiple targets identified in PET scans.
5. Real-time Adaptation: SCINTIX’s technology can adapt in real time to tumor movement, reducing radiation exposure to healthy cells and increasing precision in targeting cancerous tissues.
6. FDA Approval and Breakthrough Designation: The technology received Breakthrough Device designation in 2021 from the FDA and was cleared in 2023 for lung and bone cancer treatment.
7. UT Southwestern’s Pioneering Role: UT Southwestern led the study on SCINTIX’s efficacy and was the second institution in the country to install this technology.
8. Comprehensive Cancer Care: UT Southwestern’s Radiation Oncology facility offers a range of advanced imaging/treatment machines, providing personalized AI-assisted radiation therapy.
9. National Recognition: The UTSW Simmons Cancer Center holds a Comprehensive Cancer Center designation by the National Cancer Institute and is a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

“In essence, we are now able to assess the exact location of one or multiple tumors, as well as their individual biological signatures. Given that not all tumors are created equal, biology-guided radiotherapy provides us with the unique opportunity to target the areas that are most biologically active, while sparing normal tissues.”
– Aurelie Garant, MD, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology

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