The University of Alabama at Birmingham says it has become the first U.S. medical facility to offer a speedier cancer radiation therapy called RapidArc.

Officials said the new technique is the next-generation of intensity-modulated radiation therapy. It can turn a conventional 20-minute radiotherapy session into a 90-second session for selected patients, as well as providing less radiation exposure for some patients.

RapidArc is an important advance for us and our patients, said Dr. John Fiveash, an associate professor of radiation oncology. Knowing that we can reduce delivery times to less than 2 minutes per day is important considering what cancer care involves emotionally and physically.

The new system incorporates powerful computers that analyze thousands of biological and mathematical variables to help doctors arrive at a radiotherapy treatment strategy.

RapidArc is manufactured by Varian Medical Systems Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif.

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