Is a radiation treatment that involves temporarily placing radioactive material inside the body, in or near a tumor, for a specific amount of time. The therapy delivers higher doses of radiation while minimizing the radiation exposure to nearby tissues. Brachytherapy may be delivered alone or in conjunction with external beam radiation.
3D-Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT)
A cancer treatment that utilizes three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) scans to develop individualized cancer treatment for each patient. By incorporating 3D imaging scans, 3D-CRT is able to target tumors with conformal doses of radiation, reducing the risk of damaging the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor.
Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
An advanced type of radiation therapy that uses technology to manipulate photon beams of radiation to conform to the exact shape of a tumor. IMRT uses thousands of tiny beams from multiple angles to target a tumor. The radiation intensity of these beams is modulated or controlled, using a system of movable leaves called a multi-leaf collimator.
Image-guided Radiation therapy (IGRT)
Ensures daily setup consistency by taking images prior to treatment. This allows for more accurate positioning and visualization of the tumor on a daily basis. After images are taken, computer-aided adjustments are made to ensure proper positioning.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)
A non-invasive method of delivering a highly-focused dose of radiation to a target within the brain. The beams are tightly focused and accurate in order to avoid damaging healthy cells. It is often given in a one-time therapy in a single day, or it can be broken into 2 to 5 treatments given over a week.
Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT)
A non-invasive method of delivering highly-focused radiation to a target within the body. This technology is being to treat numerous conditions throughout the body that were previously unapproachable with conventional radiation or surgery. SBRT represents an excellent alternative to surgery for many patients who cannot undergo surgery or who prefer not to have surgery.
Radioisotope Therapy
Involves the administration of radioactive compounds into the bloodstream to target a patient’s cancer. This is usually achieved by attaching a radioactive compound to another compound that is capable of ‘seeking out’ the cancer cell. This allows for the delivery of the radioactive compound to exactly where the cancer cell is in the body.
Adaptive Radiotherapy (ART)
Is a radiation therapy process where treatment is adapted to account for internal anatomical changes. During adaptive radiotherapy, frequent imaging is conducted to compensate for anatomic changes that occur during treatment. Some organs and tumors in the body that require radiation therapy can change in size and shape over the days and weeks that a course of treatment can take.