Colorectal Cancer Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT)
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Video: IORT Treatment
Dr. Dean Conterato, a radiation oncologist at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, discusses Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT). He explains how this innovative cancer treatment is used in conjunction with surgery.IORT Treatment
Dr. Dean Conterato, a radiation oncologist at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, discusses Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT). He explains how this innovative cancer treatment is used in conjunction with surgery.
Intraoperative Radiation Therapy for Colorectal Cancer
Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) has added intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) to its state-of-the-art radiation therapy program. IORT allows colorectal cancer patients to receive a single, powerful dose of radiation directly to a tumor site during surgery.
Typically, standard cancer radiation treatments involve five days a week of therapy, for a total of five to six weeks. With IORT, our radiation oncologists can deliver a similar dose of radiation in a single treatment session, while also preserving more healthy tissue. This helps to reduce side effects and treatment times.
IORT can be a treatment for patients who have primary or recurrent rectal or colon cancer located in the vicinity of the rectum. These patients must also be candidates for colorectal surgery.
Advantages of Colorectal Cancer IORT
Intraoperative radiation therapy is a multidisciplinary treatment option that offers the following potential advantages:
- Maximum effect, while minimizing recurrence. IORT delivers a concentrated dose of radiation to a tumor site immediately after a tumor is removed, helping to destroy microscopic tumor cells that may be left behind.
- Spares healthy tissues and organs. During IORT, a precise radiation dose is applied while shielding healthy tissues or structures.
- Shortened treatment times. IORT helps patients finish treatment and get back to their lives quicker
by reducing the need for additional radiation treatments. The cancer radiation treatment itself takes about four to five minutes.
- A "boost" for traditional radiation patients. Patients who must receive additional radiation therapy following surgery can receive a boost of radiation with intraoperative radiation therapy.
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