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The Latest Revolution in Radiation Therapy
About 50 percent of cancer patients receive radiation therapy. When delivering radiation, it’s important to target a cancer tumor and avoid the healthy tissue around it.
Imaging is done to locate the position of the tumor before treatment. However, during a course of radiation treatment, the size and shape of a cancer tumor can change from one day to the next. The tumor location can also change as a patient breathes during treatment.
Advanced technology called image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) compensates for these changes. IGRT uses computerized tomography (CT) that can image a tumor just before each radiation dose is delivered. If the tumor shifts, the radiation beams or the patient’s position can be corrected, allowing the precise delivery of radiation to tumors while allowing healthy tissues to receive minimal radiation.
In 2008, Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin were the first in the Midwest and the second in the country to install Artiste™, the next generation of IGRT therapy.
“Artiste allows us to observe and to correct for the actual position and potential movements of a tumor during therapy,” said Christopher Schultz, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin radiation oncologist. “With multiple built-in imaging choices, Artiste has the ability to make changes in real time. Clinicians can make critical adjustments on the spot during radiation treatment.”
Froedtert & The Medical College now have four IGRT systems, offering more flexibility to match the best treatment to each patient. In addition to Artiste, the IGRT systems are:
- CT on Rails
- Conebeam CT
- TomoTherapy®
To learn more about radiation therapy and other cancer treatment options, visit froedtert.com/cancer.
Source: Froedtert Today Date: December 2008 |
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