Oral Cancer Treatments – Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy
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Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy for Oral Cancer
Another state-of-the-art radiation delivery system utilized at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) is Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). Called the most significant breakthrough in radiation treatment in the 30 years, IMRT can treat difficult-to-reach tumors in areas such as the spine, head, neck, lung, and brain, with remarkable accuracy. IMRT allows CTCA cancer experts to deliver higher radiation doses to those areas than standard radiation therapy. Moreover, they can administer such high doses all the while sparing more of the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor.
IMRT may be useful if you have undergone conventional radiation therapy for oral cancer, and are experiencing recurrent tumors in the treated area.
IMRT differs from conventional radiation delivery methods in that employs an advanced computer program to help radiation oncologists and medical physicists at CTCA plan a precise dose of radiation in three dimensions, based on the size, shape and location of the individual tumor. IMRT then aims thin beams of radiation at the tumor, modulating the intensity of the beams with laser accuracy.
IMRT may replace external beam treatments for some oral cancer patients. However, IMRT is most often used in conjunction with, or instead of, surgery.
Next Topic: TomoTherapy® for Oral Cancer
