Tumors come in many different shapes and sizes. This type of radiation treatment uses computers and special imaging techniques to treat tumors of various sizes and shapes often in difficult locations, and is available in our state-of-the-art Los Angeles treatment facility.
3D composite imaging allows your doctor to better “see” the tumor.
Computer-assisted tomography (CT or CAT scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MR or MRI scans) and/or positron emission tomography (PET scans) are used to create detailed, three-dimensional images of the tumor and surrounding organs. These help Beverly Hills Cancer Center radiation oncologists precisely tailor the radiation beams to the size and shape of your tumor. Because the radiation beams are precisely directed, healthy nearby tissue receives less radiation.
This radiation therapy is a specialized form of 3D CRT that allows radiation to be more exactly shaped to fit a tumor.
IMRT is considered the most advanced 3-D conformal radiation therapy and helps destroy cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue. It allows radiation oncologists to use different beam intensities to deliver radiation to the tumor sites via the most favorable paths. This allows higher doses of radiation to be delivered directly to the tumor while minimizing radiation to surrounding vital organs and tissues. In some situations, this may increase the chance of a cure.
Using IMRT allows your radiation oncologist to possibly treat some tumors that were previously untreatable with radiation therapy.
Some examples include:
This is an example of a 49 year old male with cancer of the right tonsil. He was treated with IMRT radiation and chemotherapy.
IMRT treatments were used to treat the primary tumor in the right tonsil (red) as well as the lymph node regions in the right and left neck (turquoise and green) while minimizing radiation exposure to the parotid glands, larynx, spinal cord and other normal tissue structures.
The patient is now two years out from completion of radiation treatments and is currently in remission. He is also back to work full time as a SWAT officer.
This is an example of a 72 year old male who was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He decided to undergo radiation therapy treatments to his prostate gland instead of surgery to remove his prostate.
The prostate is shown in red sandwiched between the bladder (green) and rectum (brown). He was treated with IMRT radiation therapy to the prostate gland. This treatment allows the prostate to receive sufficient dose of radiation for cure while significantly limiting the dose of radiation to the rectum and bladder.
The patient tolerated the radiation treatments very well and is currently three years out from completion of radiation treatments with an undetectable PSA.
This is a 70 year old male who had a tumor of the left brain (red) near the left and right orbits (blue and green), left and right optic nerves (turquoise and pink) and optic chiasm. This tumor was in a location not accessible by surgery.
Due to the critical location of the tumor, IMRT radiation therapy was used to treat this tumor while reducing potential radiation exposure to the eyes, optic nerves and optic chiasm as well as the surrounding brain.
The patient tolerated the radiation treatments very well and is currently undergoing serial MRI scans of the brain without any evidence of tumor growth.
To schedule an appointment, please call Beverly Hills Cancer Center in Beverly Hills, California at (877) 320-5131 or Click the link below to access our Online Appointment Request
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