Radiation Oncology

Services  & Technology

Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)

IMRT is a new type of therapy that enables treatment of tumors with higher dose levels, with risks of side effects that are no higher than with 3D conformal therapy, and often lower. The concept is that instead of treating with ordinary beams of radiation, we "paint" the dose where it needs to go, point by point, skipping over healthy tissue. The resulting distribution of radiation allows us to create isolated “cold pockets,” which can act as safe harbors for critical normal organs such as the spinal cord or optic nerve. No other treatment method has this capability.

At present, we are able to offer IMRT to selected patients for whom 3D conformal therapy is likely to have side effects. We most often use it to treat head and neck tumors. We have also used IMRT to treat disease adjacent to the spinal cord, as well as to treat prostate cancers.