What is intensity-modulated radiation therapy?
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced type of 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy. It has become a standard treatment option. We use computer-generated images of your body to plan and deliver very tightly focused therapeutic radiation. We program the strength and shape of each beam to match the shape of each tumor. We target:
- Higher-dose beams at the bulk of the tumor
- Lower-dose beams at the margin (edge of the tumor) with healthy tissue
Why am I having IMRT?
We use IMRT to:
- Deliver a higher dose of radiation therapy (generally X-rays)
- Improve local tumor control
- Reduce exposure and damage to your surrounding healthy tissue
- Reduce total treatment time
Studies in patients with prostate cancer have shown that higher radiation doses more than doubled the rate of local tumor control. IMRT also reduced the rate of some normal tissue complications by as much as 20 percent.
What conditions are treated using IMRT?
We use IMRT to treat cancers of the:
- Esophagus
- Gynecological organs
- Head and neck cancers
- Lung
- Prostate
What type of technology does IMRT use?
We use Varian's Eclipse, TrueBeam, Trilogy, and VMAT technologies to "paint" a precise radiation dose to the shape and depth of your treatment area.