by InTrieste
After more than two decades in operation, an aging tomotherapy unit at the Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano is being retired, marking the end of a system that treated approximately 6,000 patients, including 410 children.
On April 7, the center will introduce a new machine purchased with regional funding, part of an investment exceeding €7.5 million. The updated system features a helical delivery mechanism designed to provide more precise, next-generation radiotherapy treatments, particularly for complex and moving tumors.
“We needed a technological renewal,” said Maurizio Mascarin, director of radiation oncology. “This machine will improve accuracy and allow us to track changes in tumors over time, including those affected by breathing.”
The upgrade is part of a broader modernization effort that also includes plans for proton therapy, which officials say could attract more patients from outside the region. Currently, about 35 to 40 percent of patients come from elsewhere in Italy.
Ahead of the launch, Riccardo Riccardi, the regional health councilor, said the investment reflects a broader push to make the health system more efficient by concentrating resources in high-volume centers, despite local opposition.
