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INTENSITY MODULATED RADIATION THERAPY (IMRT)
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Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is an advanced cancer treatment technique that is used to deliver complex doses of radiation to tumors. The advantage of IMRT over traditional radiotherapy is that it enables “dose sculpting”, the ability to wrap a dose of radiation around a tumor, thereby minimizing or excluding dose to surrounding healthy tissue. IMRT is a beneficial form of treatment delivery when radiation therapy is the treatment of choice, and the tumor is close to vital organs or other tissues that are highly sensitive to radiation.
While the delivery of this treatment is considered “cutting edge” and the planning process is complex, IMRT has been shown to provide greater benefits to patients by improving recovery time and reducing complications associated with conventional radiation therapy treatments.
The clinical advantages of IMRT are becoming more apparent as the number of anatomical sites where IMRT is routinely delivered grows. Radiotherapy side effects that were commonly accepted with conventional external beam treatments are reduced with IMRT. Complications such as urinary incontinence, impotence and xerostomia occur less frequently in patients treated with IMRT than those with conventional radiotherapy. This decrease in side effects can result in an improvement in patients’ quality of life and may result in lower costs of radiotherapy patient management. Recently, reimbursement for IMRT has increased, thereby making IMRT a more financially viable option for many departments and clinics.
The number of anatomical sites where IMRT is routinely delivered as the treatment of choice is growing. As new protocols are devised and successfully delivered, additional tumor sites and pathologies will be added.
The benefits of the Siemens IMRT solution are clear to clinicians: accurate, verifiable and automated delivery to patients. For patients, the benefits are also clear: safe, accurate and efficient delivery of IMRT, with shorter treatment times, better outcomes and greater certainty for the future.
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