| Recent data from the National Cancer Institute | | | | complicated tumor placements where the treatment |
| shows amazing progress in several vital | | | | time is a reasonable trade-off for precision and |
| cancer-related areas. As cancer-related mortality is | | | | preserving of healthy tissue. |
| falling, so are actual diagnoses of the disease. | | | | TomoTherapy Planning |
| What this means is that the United States has now | | | | Before beginning any TomoTherapy treatment, the |
| successfully identified some causes of cancer and we | | | | radiation oncologist will determine the precise |
| are making progress towards cancer prevention. | | | | topography of the tumor using complex, three |
| Additionally, the nation is making huge strides in | | | | dimensional imaging software. Using this image, he will |
| cancer treatment, utilizing years of research and new | | | | determine the contours and intricacies of the tumor, |
| technology to develop state of the art radiation | | | | which will help him determine the surface area, and |
| therapies and treatments. | | | | thus allowing him to calculate the amount of radiation |
| One relatively new form of radiation therapy, first | | | | that is needed for each TomoTherapy session as |
| used clinically in 2003, is called TomoTherapy, an | | | | well as the acceptable levels for the surrounding |
| innovative form of CT guided IMRT (or Intensity | | | | areas. |
| Modulated Radiation Therapy). | | | | The TomoTherapy planning station is then used to |
| The primary advantage to using TomoTherapy is its | | | | calculate the pattern, position, and intensity for the |
| precise delivery of radiation to a cancerous tumor, | | | | radiation to be delivered to the affected area. Precise |
| while sparing the healthy tissue around it. The | | | | positioning is imperative for effective radiation |
| radiation sources encircle the patient and use a | | | | therapy, and because a patient's position can change |
| multi-leaf collimator, which allows the tumor to be | | | | slightly from session to session it is necessary to |
| targeted more precisely. | | | | take CT images of the patient before each session. |
| Because of this innovative technology, a radiation | | | | As times continue to change, there will probably be |
| oncologist can treat areas that are difficult or | | | | new and updated techniques available for radiation |
| impossible for other machines to reach, such as | | | | oncologists to use, many of them, perhaps, based on |
| treating just the lining of the lung and not the lung | | | | the TomoTherapy solutions that have been |
| itself, or taking on tumors on the edge of the spinal | | | | developed and continue to be useful tools in the fight |
| cord without risking damage to the spinal cord itself. | | | | against cancer. |
| For more simple cases, such as breast cancer that | | | | Doctors and scientists are confident that there will be |
| has not metastasized, TomoTherapy may not be the | | | | a cure for cancer in the coming years, but until then |
| best solution, because other methods can deliver the | | | | it is a comfort to know that advances, such as |
| radiation safely while using much less time. | | | | TomoTherapy, are making it a battle that is easier to |
| TomoTherapy's primary benefit is for the most | | | | fight. |