BALTIMORE -- Brand new technology under use in Baltimore has helped some cancer patients get the latest in radiation therapy.

Doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center called the Trilogy system an advancement that allows for better treatment and fewer side effects for patients.

According to the UMM's Web site, the Trilogy is a powerful new image-guided radiation therapy system that delivers high-dose radiation to even the smallest tumors.

Lung cancer patient Richard Dobrzykowski underwent his fourth radiation treatment Tuesday morning.

"Anything with less side effects has got to be better," Dobrzykowski said.

Dr. William Regine, chief of radiation oncology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, explained Trilogy is a system that combines the strengths of all three radiation treatment systems -- TomoTherapy, Novalis and Cyberknife.

Regine said the Trilogy uses state-of-the-art imaging equipment that delivers high doses of radiation with pinpoint accuracy, thus minimizing damage to surrounding healthy organs and tissue.

"It is the most accurate system you can have available to patients and a large part of the accuracy is defined by the fact that this system takes pictures of the tumors while the patient is being treated," Regine said. "So, patients have a better outcome in terms of their tumor treatment in particular, have a better quality of life because they have less side effects."

Regine said the treatment program will reduce the need for surgery in some patients.

"Since it tracks a tumor while you're breathing, we now can give very high doses very quickly so a patient can have treatment and may never have to have a scalpel," Regine said.

Dobrzykowski was diagnosed just two months ago with stage-three lung cancer. He can already see the benefits of using Triology.

"Actually, I'm real up about it because this is something that's going to be less time for me get involved in; it's quicker and much safer," Dobrzykowski said.

Doctors said that while the Trilogy system can be used to treat a variety of cancers, not every cancer patient is a candidate for the new technology.

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