WHAT IS RADIATION THERAPY?

Radiation therapy is a form of cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy targets malignant tumors and kills cancer cells by destroying their genetic make up or DNA thereby preventing cancerous cells from growing and spreading.

There are two types of radiation therapy offered by most cancer centers, external beam and internal radiation called brachytherapy. In most cases radiation therapy is performed on an outpatient basis, under the guidance of a cancer doctor known as a radiation oncologist. Radiation oncologists are cancer doctors that work together with their patients and other doctors throughout cancer therapy to develop an optimal and individualized radiation plan to treat the patient most effectively.

Internal Radiation Therapy

This treatment modality delivers radiation from inside the body, through radioactive seeds, which are inserted into the body, in close proximity to the target or cancer. This method is often used for patients with smaller tumors that are confined to one area of the body.

External Radiation Therapy

This is a common form of cancer treatment that is often used for most types of cancer, even if the cancer has metastasized (spread to multiple areas of the body). High doses of radiation are administered from outside the body using a machine known as a linear accelerator. External forms of radiation are non invasive and painless.

IMRT (intensity modulated radiotherapy) and IGRT (image-guided radiotherapy) are two highly evolved techniques that enhance the effectiveness and precision of the external beam radiation therapy. These methods have some distinct advantages when compared to more traditional treatment modalities.

 

IMRT uses computer-controlled radiation beams to deliver high doses of radiation to the targeted area. IMRT allows for higher doses of radiation to be used when compared to many traditional methods. With intensity modulated technology, radiation can be administered to conform more precisely to the actual 3D shape of the tumor being treated, minimizing the exposure of healthy tissues and organs to harmful radiation.

IGRT is an advanced technology used to localize the position of the target tissue immediately before radiation treatments. CALYPSO IGRT, is a “GPS like” tracking system used to monitor the exact position of the tumor before and during each treatment, making radiation therapy more precise than ever before. Calypso takes into account the fact that tumors tend to shift within the body. When radiation angles and beams are not adjusted to account for a tumor’s change in position, more of a patient’s healthy tissue can be damaged by unnecessary radiation, which can increase the occurrence or severity of certain side effects.

Is IMRT/IGRT Best For Your Care?:

IMRT and IGRT allow radiation oncologists provide cancer treatment to patients using higher doses of radiation than is possible with other forms of cancer treatment technology. Benefits can include:

• Reduced side effects
• Less healthy tissue is affected
• Shorter treatment period
• The ability to treat tumors that are in close proximity to vital organs
• Allows for increased accuracy regardless of changes in position of a patients tumor secondary to normal physiologic activities such as respiration and bowel gas or bladder filing

 

 

 

 

 

21st Century Oncology is one of the few Arizona Cancer Centers that provides patients with comprehensive cancer treatment and is the only clinic in Phoenix offering CALYPSO Radiation Therapy