What is respiration-gated radiation therapy synchronized treatment?
As you inhale and exhale, your torso changes shape. This affects the position of your internal organs and the treatment area. Using respiration-gated radiation therapy allows us to:
- Monitor your breathing
- Target the radiation beam in real time with your breath
Why am I having respiration-gated radiation therapy synchronized treatment?
Your chest and torso move when you breathe. When we coordinate your treatment with your breathing, we:
- Can focus a higher dose of therapeutic radiation on a smaller target
- Often reduce your total treatment time
- Reduce the risk of damage to healthy tissue
What type of technology does respiration-gated radiation therapy synchronized treatment use?
We use two techniques for respiration-gated treatment:
- During MRI-guided radation therapy, we use the MRIdian ViewRay to deliver therapeutic radiation beams coordinated in real time with your breathing and the position of your internal organs.
- We also combine surface-guided radiation therapy with a technique called deep-inspiration breath hold. This means we’ll ask you to inhale deeply and hold your breath for about 20 seconds while we deliver the therapeutic radiation. When you hold a deep breath, your heart shifts away from your chest wall, reducing its exposure to the radiation.
What conditions are treated using respiration-gated radiation therapy synchronized treatment?
We use respiration-gated radiation therapy synchronized treatment to treat breast cancer.