Soft Tissue Sarcoma Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT)
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Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT) for Soft Tissue Sarcoma
At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), our goal is to utilize the most powerful and least invasive treatment options available, so patients can enjoy a better quality of life during treatment.
Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is one of the advanced radiation therapy options available for soft tissue sarcoma patients. IORT combines radiation therapy with surgery, allowing you to receive radiation directly to the tumor site during soft tissue sarcoma resection surgery.
Typically, standard external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for soft tissue sarcoma involves five days a week of treatment, for a total of seven weeks. With IORT, our radiation oncologists can deliver a similar dose of radiation in a single session, while also preserving higher amounts of healthy surrounding tissue.
Advantages of Soft Tissue Sarcoma IORT
Intraoperative radiation therapy is a multidisciplinary treatment option that offers significant medical and quality of life benefits, including:
- Maximum effect, while minimizing recurrence. IORT delivers a concentrated dose of radiation to a soft tissue sarcoma tumor site immediately after a tumor is removed during surgery, helping to destroy the microscopic tumor cells that may be left behind.
- Spares healthy tissues and organs. During intraoperative radiation therapy for soft tissue sarcoma, a precise radiation dose is applied while shielding healthy tissues or structures.
- Shortened treatment times. IORT delivers the equivalent of several weeks of standard radiation therapy in a single dose and treatment session, helping patients get back to their lives quicker. The treatment itself takes about four to five minutes.
- A "boost" for traditional radiation patients. Patients who must receive additional radiation therapy for a soft tissue sarcoma following surgery can often still receive a boost of radiation during IORT. After recovering from the surgical procedure, you can continue with your radiation treatments, with typically fewer complications and for a shorter period of time than would be required without soft tissue sarcoma IORT.
In order to be a candidate for intraoperative radiation therapy, you must be eligible for soft tissue sarcoma surgery with a tumor that is resectable.
Helping You Maintain Your Quality of Life
Your CTCA care team anticipates and proactively manages the side effects of soft tissue sarcoma intraoperative radiation therapy. Before, during and after your treatment, you’ll receive supportive therapies designed to keep you strong, reduce the side effects of radiation and promote your overall well-being.
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