Method and equipment for image-guided stereotactic radiosurgery of breast cancer

An equipment for image-guided stereotactic radiosurgery of a cancerous region in a breast, which equipment comprises:

• (i) means for immobilizing the breast containing the cancerous region, the means including a breast cup;
• (ii) a couch comprising a channel or right and left openings, wherein the right breast or the left breast of a patient is placed in the channel or the right or left opening, respectively, for treatment when the patient is lying prone on the couch, which comprises a top layer of a self-molding medium;
• (iii) a stereotactic localization frame beneath the couch for placement of the breast in a coordinate system;
• (iv) one or two breast shields, which are removably attached to the couch, slidably mounted to the channel, or removably attached to the means for immobilizing the breast;
• (v) an irradiation unit comprising (i′) a source holder, which comprises a wall having an interior surface, an exterior surface, and channels, which communicate with the interior surface and the exterior surface, and each of which comprises at least one of x-ray radiation sources or gamma radiation sources, (ii′) a collimator holder, which is adjacent to the interior surface of the source holder and comprises collimators of different sizes in the same arrangement as the channels in the source holder such that relative rotation between the source holder and collimator holder allows selection of radiation beams of different sizes, resulting in shots of radiation of different sizes, and (iii′) a base housing, which is beneath the exterior surface of the source holder, supports the source holder and the collimator holder, and houses a motor, which rotates the collimator holder and the source holder relative to each other, and another motor, which rotates the collimator holder and the source holder together, when locked;
• (vi) a curved base support, wherein the curved base support is configured with a center of curvature which coincides with the focus of the radiation beams and wherein the curved based support is configured to translate motion of an axis of rotation of the base housing, the source holder, and the collimator holder;
• (vii) three motors, which are operably connected to the couch and each of which moves the couch in a different axis of motion;
• and
• (viii) a computerized control system, which controls the movement of the couch and the irradiation unit.