Cancer Center Frequently Asked Questions
What is 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3-D CRT)?
What is the difference between chemotherapy and radiation therapy?
What is external beam radiation therapy?
What is intensity modualted radiation therapy (IMRT)?
What is brachytherapy?
What is high-dose rate brachytherapy?
What is 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3-D CRT)?
3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, also known as 3-dimensional radiation therapy, is a procedure that uses a computer to create a 3-dimensional picture of a tumor. This allows doctors to provide more effective treatment by determining the highest possible dosage of radiation therapy to give the tumor, while reducing the damage to normal tissue. This technique is commonly used to treat cancers in most parts of the body, but is particularly useful in treating breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer and certain brain tumors.
What is the difference between chemotherapy and radiation therapy?
In radiation therapy, high-energy x-rays are directed at a tumor to dill or damage cancer cells so they cannot grow or spread. Unlike Chemotherapy, which exposes the entire body to cancer-fighting chemicals, radiation therapy affects only the tumor and surrounding area.
What is external beam radiation therapy?
In external beam radiation therapy, the rays are delivered by a machine and the radiation is given in brief sessions, usually one session each weekday for several weeks. Many patients compare the treatments to having an x-ray. The procedure itself is painless and lasts just a few minutes.
Recent advancements in external beam radiation therapy have lead to three new methods of treatment, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), brachytherapy and high-dose rate brachytherapy.
What is intensity modualted radiation therapy (IMRT)?
A type of external bean radiation therapy, in IMRT, beams are aimed from several directions, with the intensity and strength adjusted to minimize the dose reaching healthy tissue.
For most types of cancer, radiation therapy usually is given five days a week for six or seven weeks. (When radiation is used for palliative care, not for cure, the course of treatment is shorter, usually two to three weeks.) The total radiation dose and number of treatments varies with each patient and depends on the size, location and type of tumor, as well as the patient's general health and other medical treatments he or she is receiving.
What is brachytherapy?
A type of external beam radiation therapy, in brachytherapy (sometimes called interstitial radiation therapy or "seeds") the rediation rays come from tiny, radioactive seeds inserted directly into the prostate. Specialized equipment is used to view the tumor so the surgeon can place the seeds correctly. The seeds are inserted into the tumor during a minor surgical procedure, in most cases performed as an outpatient procedure.
The brachytherapy procedure itself is generally painless and, in many cases, the patient feels less pain after treatment. The seeds are too small to be felt by the patient and do not cause any discomfort. This type of therapy requires fewer visits to the hospital or physician's office than other treatments.
What is high-dose rate brachytherapy?
A type of external bean radiation therapy, high-dose rate brachytherapy is a newer form of brachytherapy, in which seeds are only placed temporarily. The seeds stay in place for less than one day, and contain more radioactive material that the seeds that stay in place longer. This type of brachytherapy is also typically performed as an outpatient procedure.
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