BATON ROUGE, La. – Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and Elekta, a world leader in the development of precision radiation therapy technologies recently extended its longstanding partnership. Through this collaboration, the Mary Bird Perkins radiation oncology treatment team will have greater access to the most advanced radiation therapy technologies, benefiting patients throughout the organization’s extensive network across Louisiana and southwest Mississippi.
Mary Bird Perkins has partnered with Elekta for years, introducing many leading-edge technologies to ensure that patients have access to the best cancer care possible. Through its partnership with Elekta and other organizations, the Cancer Center is able to offer sophisticated treatment techniques and advanced technology typically found at academic institutions in large cities.
As part of the collaboration, Mary Bird Perkins’ radiation oncologists and scientists are instrumental in working to enhance Elekta’s technology through expert, on-the-ground experience, including the medical physics partnership with Louisiana State University’s School of Physics and Astronomy.
This week Mary Bird Perkins will host Elekta’s North America Elekta Unity Users Meeting. Medical physicists, radiation therapists, radiation oncologists, and other radiation therapy professionals from around the United States and the world will have the opportunity to tour the Cancer Center’s state-of-the-art facility on Essen Lane and learn about the innovative cancer care offered at the organization’s headquarters on Essen Lane. This meeting is the first of many working group meetings that will take place at the Cancer Center over the coming years.
Some of this technology includes:
Elekta Versa HD: Mary Bird Perkins was among the first ten facilities in the country to offer the technology, which enabled the Cancer Center to significantly reduce treatment times, increase the number of patients treated daily and reduce the number of treatments.
Elekta Harmony: In November 2024, Mary Bird Perkins became the first facility in the U.S. to treat patients with Elekta Harmony. Since then, the linear accelerator has enabled the Cancer Center to accommodate up to 10 more patients a day, reduce wait times and maintain treatment precision.
Elekta Unity: The cornerstone of Mary Bird Perkins’ adaptive MRI-guided radiation therapy program, Elekta Unity combines the imaging capabilities of a high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system with a linear accelerator, allowing the radiotherapy care team to see tumors and surrounding anatomy before and in real-time during treatment. The technology has already allowed for more personalized care for more than 100 patients at the Cancer Center.
“We are very excited about this extended services agreement with Elekta,” said Sotirios Stathakis, PhD, DABR, FAAPM, Dr. Charles M. Smith chief of physics, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “This global company is selective when choosing their partners, because this technology doesn’t work on its own. Elekta knows that Mary Bird Perkins punches far above its weight with its ability to usher in new technology. This agreement is a testament to what our community has known about us for years – our ability to attract the very best and brightest talent – men and women with leading-edge skills and passion to operate this extremely sophisticated technology and advance our mission.”
“At Elekta, our focus is on accelerating innovation, and our collaboration with Mary Bird Perkins helps us to action feedback, reduce barriers to learning opportunities and push the boundaries of what is possible, said Ardie Ermers, Executive Vice President, Elekta Region Americas. “Our investment in advanced precision radiation therapy solutions and continuous learning through the Unity Users Meeting at Mary Bird Perkins is testament for how close collaboration between healthcare and the industry can transform cancer care.”
As a community Cancer Center, Mary Bird Perkins relies heavily on philanthropic support and the generosity of the community. Many of these technology developments are made possible thanks to the Cancer Center’s donors.
“While we are certainly excited to be involved in these new technologies, we are more so excited about the opportunities this will bring to our community – and most importantly, our patients,” said Stathakis. “At Mary Bird Perkins, we are leading the way when it comes to cancer care and we won’t stop until we fulfill our mission: to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer in our community.”
To learn more about Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, visit marybird.org.