2025-2026 MCW Radiation Oncology Annual Report - Flipbook - Page 24
2025-2026 Medical College of Wisconsin, Radia琀椀on Oncology Annual Report
Seeing is believing: The MCW Image-guided
Brachytherapy Team Innova琀椀ng with MCW Rad
Onc Developed Augmented Reality Glasses
Beth Erickson, MD, FACR, FASTRO, FABS
The MCW department of Radia琀椀on Oncology has a history of
progressive innova琀椀on in the treatment of gynecologic cancers. In 1992, with the
addi琀椀on of Dr. Beth Erickson to the faculty, a High Dose Rate (HDR)
remote a昀琀erloader was purchased,
enabling
outpa琀椀ent
gynecologic
brachytherapy. Brachytherapy is radia琀椀on delivered in close proximity to the
gynecologic cancer a昀琀er placing hollow customized applicators under
seda琀椀on, used to carry a powerful radioac琀椀ve source within or next to these
tumors. The MCW brachytherapy service also remodeled space to have its own
procedure suite in
the
Radia琀椀on
Oncology
department.
Anesthesia exper琀椀se and services were added to the program so that pa琀椀ents
could be sedated with each inser琀椀on of applicators and remain
sedated throughout the procedure and dose delivery. FMLH/MCW was one of
the first departments in the US to adapt to HDR brachytherapy, which allows pa琀椀ent treatment as outpa琀椀ents
over 3-5 visits rather than remaining in bed as
inpa琀椀ents for 3-4 days to deliver the same dose. It also prevented radia琀椀on exposure to all who cared for these
pa琀椀ents. A昀琀er seeing the value of CT-based image guidance for brachytherapy during an extended study
period in
France,
Dr.
Erickson
and the brachytherapy team
began to use CT-based
planning for each frac琀椀on,
enabling
a
be琀琀er
understanding of the dose to
the adjacent normal organs.
With the emergence of
exquisite
MR imaging in
Diagnos琀椀c
Radiology
at FMLH/MCW, Dr. Erickson
and
team
were enthusias琀椀c about
bringing MRI imaging into
the
brachytherapy
workflow. This
would
require MR compa琀椀ble
applicators
and new
so昀琀ware. With department
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