Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells. Penn Radiation Oncology is a recognized leader in techniques that target radiation precisely to the treatment area while sparing normal tissue.
Conformal radiation therapy
Conformal radiation therapy gives us more control when treating tumors.
In conformal radiation, a special computer uses computed tomography (CT) imaging scans to create 3-D maps of the location of the cancer in the body. The system permits the delivery of radiation from several directions, and the beams can then be shaped, or conformed, to match the shape of the cancer. Conformal radiation therapy limits radiation exposure to nearby healthy tissue and to the tissue in the beam's path.
Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT)
Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) uses frequent imaging during a course of radiation therapy to improve the precision and accuracy of the delivery of radiation treatment.
In IGRT, the linear accelerators (machines that deliver radiation) are equipped with imaging technology that takes pictures of the tumor immediately before or during the radiation treatment. Specialized computer software compares these images of the tumor to the images taken during the simulation to establish an individualized treatment plan. Necessary adjustments can then be made to your position and/or the radiation beams to more precisely target radiation at the cancer and avoid the healthy surrounding tissue.
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced mode of high-precision radiotherapy using computer-controlled linear accelerators to deliver precise radiation doses to tumors or specific areas within the tumors. Radiation therapy, including IMRT, stops cancer cells from dividing and growing, thus slowing or stopping tumor growth. In many cases, radiation therapy is capable of killing all of the cancer cells.
Using 3-D computed tomography (CT) images in conjunction with computerized dose calculations, IMRT allows for the radiation dose to conform more precisely to the three-dimensional shape of the tumor by controlling, or modulating, the intensity of the radiation beam in multiple small volumes. The therapy allows higher radiation doses to be focused to regions within the tumor while minimizing the dose to surrounding normal critical structures.