TomoTherapy^® for Pharyngeal Cancer

Pharyngeal Cancer Treatment: TomoTherapy^®

Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) offers one of the latest breakthroughs in radiation therapy delivery: TomoTherapy^® Highly Integrated Adaptive Radiotherapy (HI-ART). TomoTherapy^® may be a treatment option for some pharyngeal cancer patients.

This highly advanced form of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) applies Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT). When patients receive TomoTherapy^® treatment, they first undergo a CT scan from the same machine—the TomoTherapy^® HI-ART System^®. The CT scan allows for IGRT. Radiation therapists make technical adjustments to accurately align the system to the precise position of the patient. This helps ensure that the planned radiation treatment is targeted to the pharyngeal tumor as much as possible, avoiding muscle tissue, the spine, lungs and other sensitive organs.

The CTCA radiation therapy team uses TomoTherapy^® to:

• Strike hard-to-reach tumors with small, intense and precise radiation beams
• Effectively target tumors using built-in CT scanning to confirm the shape and position of the pharyngeal tumor, seconds before delivering treatment
• Reduce radiation exposure to surrounding, healthy pharyngeal tissue, often dramatically

Traditional radiation delivery systems project radiation on pharyngeal tumors from a few directions. However, TomoTherapy^® allows the CTCA radiation therapy team to deliver precise and powerful doses of radiation from a full 360 degrees.

For pharyngeal cancer patients who have reached their maximum tolerance dosage of traditional radiation, or for those with tumors in hard-to-reach areas, TomoTherapy^® may open new doors for treatment.

Schedule a consultation at a CTCA hospital to learn if TomoTherapy^® is a pharyngeal cancer treatment option for you. Call 800-615-3055 or click to chat with a knowledgeable Oncology Information Specialist.

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