The first machine of its kind in Canada, VERO™ will treat those diagnosed with rare and hard-to-treat cancers.

An all-in-one radiation, imaging and patient positioning system known as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) machinery, VERO™ focuses radiation on a central target (e.g., a tumour) while sparing surrounding healthy tissues and organs.

Tumours can move when patients breathe or the heart pumps so focusing a beam of radiation only on a tumour is tricky. VERO™ technology, with its dynamic, six-dimensional patient positioning and tumour tracking system, has less risk of healthy tissue receiving radiation. To do this, VERO™ acquires breathing signals from patients and correlates them with the position of the tumour using infrared signals.

There are approximately three dozen radiation machines across the province located at the BC Cancer Agency’s six centres. One of the oldest radiation machines at the Vancouver Centre has been retired to make way for the VERO™. 

About 13,000 cancer patients receive radiation treatment in BC each year. About 50 per cent of all cancer patients are eligible for radiation. VERO™ is ideal for hard-to-treat cancers, such as lung, liver, pancreas, kidney and brain. 

The generosity of 4,000 BC Cancer Foundation donors provided $6.5 million to purchase VERO™, perform the necessary renovations at the Vancouver Centre, train staff and help bring the most advanced radiation therapy system to the BC Cancer Agency.

Watch a time-lapsed video of the full VERO installation:​

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