|
The Institute for Advanced Radiation Oncology’s introduction
of the Oncor Avant-Garde Linear Accelerator served as the springboard
that elevated it to the next level of radiotherapy advancement:
Monmouth became the first hospital in New Jersey to introduce “cone-beam” image-guided
radiation therapy (IGRT) — a breakthrough technology that
uses images obtained from various scanning systems to precisely
target the treatment site.
Through real time image-guided radiation therapy, this advanced
system allows radiation oncologists to “see before they treat,” offering
unparalleled tumor targeting and normal tissue sparing.
They are able to determine the exact tumor location through positron
emission tomography (PET) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
and computed tomography (CT) scans that can be developed with IGRT
using a “cone-beam” technique, allowing an entire
3-D volume to be imaged, thereby producing the highest image quality
using the lowest radiation dose.
This precise targeting of tumor volumes allows physicians to shape
the radiation beam to match the dimensions of the tumor. Since
tumors can move, both during a treatment session and from one session
to another, they can verify the exact tumor location on each treatment
day.
As a result, there is minimal exposure to healthy adjacent tissue,
which allows IGRT to be used in combination with chemotherapy to
improve cure rates.
Additional information on IGRT is available from the National
Cancer Institute, National
Comprehensive Cancer Network and American
Cancer Society.
[ top ] |
|
|
Radiation Oncology
Monmouth Medical Center
|
|
| |
|
Treatment Technology
|
|
| |
|
 |
|
