169 Riverside Drive, Binghamton, NY 13905
Phone: 607-798-5230 • Fax: 607-798-6720
The Lourdes Regional Cancer Center has a new tool in it's cancer
fighting arsenal, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy
(IMRT). IMRT is a type of three-dimensional radiation
therapy that improves the targeting of radiation therapy
treatments, decreasing damage to normal tissues. This noninvasive
procedure pinpoints the delivery of radiation to the patient by
using a computer system to change the intensity of radiation beams,
creating a clinically optimal treatment plan - one that maximizes
the dose to the tumor while sparing the surrounding tissues.
IMRT is the most technologically advanced treatment method
available in external beam radiation therapy. IMRT uses
computer-generated images to match a radiation dose to the size and
shape of a patient's tumor. Rather than having a single large
radiation beam pass through the body, with IMRT, the radiation is
effectively shaped in order to conform to the size and shape of the
tumor. With laser accuracy, these beams enter the body from many
angles and target the cancer. This results in a high dosage of
radiation to the tumor and a lower dosage to the surrounding
healthy tissues.
IMRT is performed on an outpatient basis. It is most beneficial
for patients who need high-dose radiation therapy in areas closely
located to sensitive or essential organs, but all types of cancer
can benefit from IMRT.
