Radiation Therapy                              

Radiation therapy is one of the most common treatments for cancer and, according to the American Cancer Society, is used in more than half of all cancer cases. With radiation therapy, high-energy rays are used to damage cancer cells and stop them from growing and dividing. It affects cancer cells only in the treated area, and is sometimes used in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy.

Greater Precision Means Better Results

With IGRT technolgy, an X-Ray system mounted on a robotic arm is rotated around the patient's body to gather images that pinpoint a tumor's exact location just prior to treatment. This increased precision allows for higher doses of radiation - ultimately leading to higher cure rates.

The centerpiece of Samaritan’s Radiation Therapy Department is a new piece of equipment - the Varian Medical Systems’ Clinac iX IMRT/IGRT Ready Linear Accelerator, which combines two advanced cancer treatment technologies on a single machine – Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT).

IMRT delivers high doses of radiation directly to cancer cells in a very targeted way. Radiation beams are aimed from different angles to attack the tumor in a complete three-dimensional manner. Higher doses of radiation can be delivered directly to the tumor, sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. And, because the linear accelerator conforms the radiation beam to the shape of the tumor, doctors can treat tumors that previously may have been considered untreatable because of how close they were to other vital organs.

Tumors, however, are not stationary, unchanging targets. Tissues and organs can settle differently each time a patient climbs onto a treatment table. Weight fluctuations over the course of multiple treatments also can cause significant changes in tumor location. Even normal breathing will change a tumor’s locale by several centimeters. Radiation oncologists have traditionally compensated for tumor movement by enlarging treatment areas, exposing more healthy tissue to the effects of radiation.

Now, when IMRT is coupled with IGRT, physicians can utilize images taken just before treatment to pinpoint any changes in the location of the tumor. IGRT takes an already precise treatment like IMRT and makes it even more accurate.

For more information about IMRT/IGRT or other cancer treatment services, or to find out if you may be a candidate for IMRT/IGRT, please call the Walker Cancer Treatment Center at (315) 785-4600.