Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)

IMRT begins with a simulation. Your Radiation Oncologist will use advanced imaging, typically CT or PET CT scans, to create a detailed view of your internal organs and tumor. Your Radiation Oncologist and treatment team then decide on the total dose of radiation that you are to receive. A sophisticated computer then determines the number of beams and angles to achieve this dose. The number and intensity of thousands of tiny “beamlets” will be delivered to your tumor, following the pattern and instructions automatically received from the system's computer.

If your Radiation Oncologist recommends Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy, it will take place right in your 21^st Century Oncology treatment center.

It is very important that you lie in exactly the same position for each treatment session. You may be custom-fitted for a mold that will be used to position you correctly on the treatment table. You may also be tattooed with freckle-like marks that will help the Radiation Therapist precisely target the radiation beams.           

During each IMRT session you will lie on the treatment table and your Radiation Therapist will use sophisticated imaging to confirm your exact position. Minor adjustments may be made to the table to ensure exact targeting of the tumor. The radiation delivery system then moves in a circular motion around you; delivering beams from different angles and intensities, shaping them around the tumor. Each treatment session lasts from 10 to 30 minutes. Typically, you will be scheduled for five sessions a week for five to eight weeks. The sessions are pain-free and require no sedation so you can return to your normal activities right away.