LINAC


Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

LINAC

Acronym of linear accelerator.
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

linear accelerator

A device that accelerates radioactive particles and beams to body regions affected by malignancy, while minimising damage to normal tissue. Linear accelerators use electrodes and gaps arranged in a straight line, proportioned so when electrical potentials are varied with the proper amplitude and frequency, particles passing through the waveguide receive successive increments of energy, and are therefore accelerated; the device delivers therapeutic radiation in the range of 4 to 25 million volts, as either intense radiation or high-energy electron beams—most commonly, 60Co, delivering 2–10 Gy/min (200–1,000 rads/min) at the centre of an internal malignancy. 

Types
External beam radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery.

Indications
Head and neck cancer, prostate cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma and other lymphoproliferative malignancies, seminomas and localised breast cancer, in combination with an excision of malignant lumps.
Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
Mentioned in ?
References in periodicals archive ?
"Funding for the first five replacement LINACs, which will cost $25 million in total, comes from the $1.7 billion we invested in hospital and health facilities in the Wellbeing Budget," David Clark said.
New cancer treatment services for regions announced
Protons, or other heavy ions, are accelerated first by a two-stage linac and then by a synchrotron.
Hitting cancer hard: better acceleration and visualisation techniques are helping to make radiation treatments for cancer more effective and less invasive
As a safety mechanism, the physicist and radiation oncologist confirm the correct adjustments on the LINAC have been made by using a correct size collimator.
Stereotactic radiosurgery for brain lesions: an observation and follow-up
A linac is a machine for delivering external beam radiation to cancer in any part or organ of the body.
Elekta achieves radiotherapy milestone with manufacture of its 5,000th linear accelerator
The preferred option is to acquire a new linac costing PS1.7m but Mr Heron reveals that the capital has already been earmarked.
Mystery donor leaves PS500k to cancer centre; GLAN CLWYD COULD GET NEW RADIOTHERAPY UNIT
ExacTrac and Versa HD enable treatment of conventional as well as complex cancers that require highly accurate targeting precision, expanding the reach and richness of SRS and SBRT for facilities looking to leverage resources and deliver advanced, sophisticated therapies across several different LINACs. With its initial clinical success, the Brainlab/Elekta solution is now being sought after by hospitals around the globe, reaffirming market preference for ExacTrac across several LINAC systems.
BRAINLAB UNVEILS EXACTRAC X-RAY FOR CANCER PATIENTS
19 June 2012 - Swedish medical technology provider Elekta (STO:EKTA B) unveiled on Tuesday the purchase of Brazilian linear accelerator (linac) service firm Radon Ltda, which helped it boost its customer base in the country by 25%.
Elekta grows in Brazil with Radon deal
An extra 200 radiotherapy treatments will be carried out every week at Velindre Cancer Centre with the launch of the hospital's sixth linear accelerator, known as a linac.
Machine boosts cancer treatment
The 1.5 million [pounds sterling] clinical electron linear accelerator (linac) unveiled at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) this month could halve the calibration process of radiotherapy equipment.
Calibration tester offers hope for cancer patients: electron accelerator could result in more accurate radiation doses
These changes include; a dramatic deemphasis of chemical lasers; diminished interest in neutral particle beams and X-ray lasers, except for use in discriminating between warheads and decoys in midcourse trajectories; and promotion of the induction linac free-electron laser as the top-priority candidate for shooting down missiles in their boost phase.
Has DOD exaggerated SDI's promise?

Medical browser ?
Full browser ?