Just as our cellular telephone and laptop computers have become faster, smaller and more functional, so it is with Radiation Therapy equipment. We have recently installed a state-of-the art linear accelerator and three dimensional treatment planning system. IMRT allow us to effectively “wrap” radiation beams around normal tissues. This is done by dividing the radiation beam in tiny little “beamlets” which turn on and off only when they are needed. The radiation fields actually change shape during the treatment and do so at precisely the right time. The size and shape of the field and the timing of each “beamlet” is controlled by the treatment planning software so as to accurately reproduce the treatment course your doctor has prescribed.

Treatment plans are based on CT scans which make pictures of the human body as if it could be sliced like a loaf of bread. You can see such a scan at the bottom of this page. The bands of color indicate area where beams are entering the patient. The purple area where they overlap is the treatment volume. In addition, we can look inside the body from any angle to get a “beam’s eye view” of the area we want to treat. Our own dedicated CT scanner takes pictures of the patient and imports the information directly into the treatment planning system—eliminating the possibility of human error.