Elekta Versa HD Signature
radiation-oncology
Elekta Versa HD Signature is available at 2 hospitals across 2 cities in the Voumed network.
2 hospitals operate this technology across 2 countries through the Voumed network; 1 of them holds JCI accreditation.
Elekta Versa HD is a high-definition linear accelerator, a machine that treats cancer with precisely shaped beams of radiation from outside the body. It combines image guidance with advanced beam-shaping so the radiation oncology team can target a tumour very accurately while protecting the healthy organs and tissue around it. Because the beam can be reshaped to match the exact outline of the tumour, treatment is both more precise and more comfortable, and most people continue their normal daily routine throughout the course.
Key takeaways
- The machine is a linear accelerator for external irradiation, where computer-driven leaves close in on the outline of the tumour and can lift or lower intensity across the field.
- Routine work covers solid tumours of the lung, prostate, breast, brain and the head and neck, sometimes alone and sometimes paired with surgery or drug therapy.
- A three dimensional plan built from your scans fixes the angles, the gantry circles you so dose piles up inside the target while each healthy zone takes only a fraction, and built-in imaging corrects small shifts and breathing movement.
- Nothing is felt while the beam works, much as during an ordinary radiograph, a session lasts a few minutes, the course spreads over days or weeks and most people keep working and driving.
- Nothing radioactive stays inside the body, so being around children after a session is safe, while side effects cling to the irradiated zone, grow slowly and fade in the weeks after the last session.
On this page
At a glance
- Type
- high-definition image-guided linear accelerator (external radiotherapy)
- Used for
- a wide range of solid tumours, including head and neck, lung, prostate, breast and brain
- Key benefit
- precise, tumour-shaped beams that spare surrounding healthy tissue
- Session
- each treatment is short, usually a few minutes of beam time, and painless
- Where it is used
- leading accredited radiotherapy centres abroad
What it is
Elekta Versa HD is a linear accelerator (linac) used to deliver external beam radiotherapy. Unlike internal radiation, it sends focused beams of high-energy radiation toward the tumour from outside the body, with nothing left inside afterward. The system pairs the treatment beam with built-in imaging, so the team can see the tumour's position immediately before and during a session. Fine, computer-controlled leaves inside the machine shape the beam to the contour of the tumour and can vary its intensity across the field, which is the basis of modern techniques such as intensity-modulated and stereotactic radiotherapy.
How it works
Before treatment begins, the team builds a detailed three-dimensional plan from your scans, mapping the exact shape of the tumour and the healthy structures nearby. During each session you lie still on a couch while the machine rotates around you and delivers the beam from several angles, so the dose adds up inside the tumour while each healthy area receives only a small share. The on-board imaging confirms your position and accounts for small movements, and the beam can be adjusted to follow the breathing motion of organs such as the lung. You feel nothing during the beam itself; it is similar to having an x-ray taken.
What it treats and who it helps
The system is used for many solid tumours, including cancers of the head and neck, lung, prostate, breast, brain, and other sites, as a primary treatment or alongside surgery and drug therapy. Its precision makes it especially valuable for tumours that sit close to sensitive structures, where sparing nearby tissue matters most, and for small, well-defined targets that suit focused, high-dose stereotactic treatment. Whether radiotherapy is right, and on what schedule, always depends on the individual diagnosis; a radiation oncologist decides the approach after reviewing your case and imaging.
Benefits and what to expect
Tightly shaped, image-guided beams allow a high dose to reach the tumour while limiting exposure to healthy organs, which can mean fewer and milder side effects. Treatment is non-invasive and given on an outpatient basis, so there is no surgery, no anaesthesia, and usually no hospital stay. A course is typically divided into several short sessions over days or weeks, and many people keep working or travelling during that time. Side effects, when they occur, are usually limited to the treated area and ease after the course ends; your care team explains what to expect and monitors you throughout.
Frequently asked questions
These answers are general guidance and may vary by provider. Confirm the details with the hospital you choose.
Is the treatment painful?
No. The radiation beam itself cannot be felt, much like having an x-ray. You simply lie still while the machine works, and each session lasts only a few minutes.
Will I be radioactive afterward?
No. External beam radiotherapy leaves nothing inside your body, so you are not radioactive and it is completely safe to be around family, including children, after a session.
How many sessions will I need?
That depends on the type and stage of the cancer. Treatment is usually divided into a series of short daily sessions over several days or weeks, and your radiation oncologist explains your exact schedule in advance.
What are the side effects?
Side effects are usually mild and limited to the area being treated, such as temporary skin changes or tiredness. They tend to build up gradually and settle in the weeks after treatment finishes.
Can I keep up my normal life during treatment?
Most people can. Because sessions are short and non-invasive, many continue working, driving and other daily activities, though your team will advise if anything specific to your case needs adjusting.
How is it different from chemotherapy?
Radiotherapy uses targeted radiation to treat a specific area, while chemotherapy uses drugs that travel through the whole body. They work in different ways and are sometimes combined, depending on the treatment plan.
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