Radiation therapy is safer, more effective and less debilitating than in years past thanks to advances in treatment planning and the delivery of radiation.
Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy
One of the most important components of radiation therapy involves the complex process of treatment planning. The radiation oncologist and dosimetrist use computed tomography scans and sophisticated computer programs to create three-dimensional images of the tumor, including the size, shape and location. Armed with this information, the cancer team determines the amount of radiation and the best way to aim the radiation at the cancer cells.
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy
Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) offers patients the most effective treatment for each type and stage of cancer. IMRT uses small beams to attack a tumor from different directions and with varying intensity, while limiting the radiation dose to surrounding healthy tissue. In the past, patients received a steady dose of radiation. Today, three-dimensional images of the tumor pinpoint the treatment area. This enables experts to sculpt the radiation beam and deliver higher doses directly on the tumor, which increases the chances of eradicating the cancer or preventing its spread. IMRT technology allows oncologists to tackle cancers once considered too risky to treat because they were close to or wrapped around critical organs. IMRT is used to treat prostate cancer; brain, head and neck cancers; and lung, breast, kidney and pancreatic tumors.
Brachytherapy
A form of internal radiation therapy, known as brachytherapy, involves surgically placing radioactive seed implants directly into the tumor using ultrasound guidance. This technique allows a high dose of radiation to be delivered to a smaller area and in a shorter amount of time than with external radiation. Brachytherapy also limits damage to surrounding tissues because the radiation is targeted. This painless procedure, often used to treat , is performed on an outpatient basis. Physicians place the radioactive pellets, which are the size of a grain of rice, directly into the prostate. This technique can be as effective as surgery in treating men with low-grade, early stage cancer that has not spread beyond the prostate or to nearby tissue.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery
Stereotactic radiosurgery, available at only several hundred hospitals worldwide, is used to treat certain parts of the brain where surgery would be difficult. This non-invasive procedure allows doctors to deliver a single high dose of radiation to a tumor or several tumors (less than four centimeters in size) in the brain, while minimizing the amount of radiation to healthy tissue. When compared to neurosurgery and conventional radiation treatments for brain cancer, stereotactic radiosurgery reduces the risk of side effects and enables patients to avoid prolonged radiation therapy.
