Cone Beam CT/IGRT

Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT). Saint Mary’s was an early adopter of IGRT: initially with ultrasound guidance for prostate treatments using B mode Acquisition and Targeting (BAT) in 2001, and more recently in 2005 with helical CT incorporated in TomoTherapy®, and Cone Beam CT incorporated into our treatment programs. This revolutionary three-dimensional imaging system ensures radiation hits the precise location it is intended to treat while avoiding the surrounding healthy tissue. In conventional radiation therapy, a CT scan provides a three-dimensional picture of where the radiation should focus. However, this image is lost once the patient is placed on the radiation unit for treatment, and most radiation units alone are only capable of viewing patients two-dimensionally. This is where IGRT shines, giving our radiation oncologists an accurate three-dimensional image only seconds before each radiation beam strikes the tissue—allowing for precision therapy.

The IMRT/IGRT Advantage. Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is a system of radiation delivery that controls the dose of radiation and sculpts it to the precise shape of the tumor. In combination with IGRT—which creates the most accurate image of the affected tissue—an IMRT/IGRT treatment tool forms a highly controlled therapeutic experience by dispensing an exact dose of radiation and placing it at the desired location every time. As part of our commitment to remain on the leading edge of technology, Saint Mary's purchased one of the first Cone Beam CT units available. This unit is an excellent marriage of IMRT and IGRT technologies

To learn more about our these progressive therapies call (616) 752-6756 or 1-800-639-6266.