Fighting Cancer with Varian Technology
Varian offers various forms of radiotherapy delivery techniques. They include intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), and the newest technique: Varian RapidArc™ radiotherapy technology. Varian RapidArc combines the use of both IMRT and IGRT to deliver a treatment in less than two minutes.
Your doctor decides which form of treatment is best for you. In making this decision physicians look at many factors including the size, location, and type of tumor, as well as your overall state of health.
Learn more about each one of our radiotherapy techniques.
Varian Radiation Therapy
Varian RapidArc Radiotherapy Technology
Varian Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
Varian Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT)
Friday, May 22, 2009
IMRT/ IGRT
IMRT, IGRT & PET
The goal of curative radiation therapy treatment is two fold: Deliver a lethal dose of radiation to the tumor; and spare nearby healthy structures such as normal tissues, nerves, spinal cord and organs. The IMRT System is one of the most sophisticated technologies in the world which can meet this goal.
What is IMRT?
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy [IMRT] is a revolutionary new radiation therapy treatment technology that is able to shape or conform radiation beams to the size, shape and location of a tumor, matching the radiation dose to the contour of the tumor while minimizing the impact on surrounding healthy tissue or organs. Considered to be one of the most significant technological breakthroughs in cancer treatment in the last 30 years, IMRT can be used to treat tumors in most areas of the body, including odd-shaped tumors that may have wrapped themselves around healthy tissue. IMRT allows very precise external beam radiotherapy treatments.
Rather than having a single large radiation beam pass through the body, with IMRT the radiation is effectively broken up into thousands of tiny pencil-thin radiation beams. With millimeter accuracy, these beams enter the body from many angles and intersect on the cancer. This results in a high dosage to the tumor and a lower dose to the surrounding healthy tissues. There is no limit to the size of tumor which can be treated, thus IMRT may be used to treat large, malignant tumors. It can also be used to treat multiple tumors, such as metastasis lesions, with a single treatment plan.
IMRT is especially valuable with benign tumors, such as meningioma and acoustic neuroma, when the tumor is adjacent to a functional cranial nerve. As IMRT conforms a high dose to the tumor and a lower dose to sensitive structures, IMRT may also benefit patients who have already received the maximum allowable dose with conventional radiation therapy.
IMRT can also allow us to treat tumors to a higher dose, retreat cancers which have previously been irradiated, and safely treat tumors which are located very close to delicate organs like the eye, spinal cord, or rectum. Simply put, this can translate into a higher cancer control rate and a lower rate of side effects.
To more accurately locate tumor locations for the daily application of IMRT, often IGRT is applied.
What is IGRT?Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT): Is the process of imaging the location of the patient's organ/tumor on a daily basis and comparing the tumor's current location to the location the organ/tumor was on the day the CT for the radiation treatment plan was completed. Example: The prostate often will move in excess of 2 cm in any direction based on the content of the patient's bladder and bowels. With IGRT we track the exact location of the prostate and compensate for the change in position on a daily basis.
IGRT is very important when using IMRT because this technology allows us to decrease the margin we treat around the tumor to 3mm or less. This precision of the exact position of the organ/tumor allows the application of IMRT to be even more effective.
The goal of curative radiation therapy treatment is two fold: Deliver a lethal dose of radiation to the tumor; and spare nearby healthy structures such as normal tissues, nerves, spinal cord and organs. The IMRT System is one of the most sophisticated technologies in the world which can meet this goal.
What is IMRT?
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy [IMRT] is a revolutionary new radiation therapy treatment technology that is able to shape or conform radiation beams to the size, shape and location of a tumor, matching the radiation dose to the contour of the tumor while minimizing the impact on surrounding healthy tissue or organs. Considered to be one of the most significant technological breakthroughs in cancer treatment in the last 30 years, IMRT can be used to treat tumors in most areas of the body, including odd-shaped tumors that may have wrapped themselves around healthy tissue. IMRT allows very precise external beam radiotherapy treatments.
Rather than having a single large radiation beam pass through the body, with IMRT the radiation is effectively broken up into thousands of tiny pencil-thin radiation beams. With millimeter accuracy, these beams enter the body from many angles and intersect on the cancer. This results in a high dosage to the tumor and a lower dose to the surrounding healthy tissues. There is no limit to the size of tumor which can be treated, thus IMRT may be used to treat large, malignant tumors. It can also be used to treat multiple tumors, such as metastasis lesions, with a single treatment plan.
IMRT is especially valuable with benign tumors, such as meningioma and acoustic neuroma, when the tumor is adjacent to a functional cranial nerve. As IMRT conforms a high dose to the tumor and a lower dose to sensitive structures, IMRT may also benefit patients who have already received the maximum allowable dose with conventional radiation therapy.
IMRT can also allow us to treat tumors to a higher dose, retreat cancers which have previously been irradiated, and safely treat tumors which are located very close to delicate organs like the eye, spinal cord, or rectum. Simply put, this can translate into a higher cancer control rate and a lower rate of side effects.
To more accurately locate tumor locations for the daily application of IMRT, often IGRT is applied.
What is IGRT?Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT): Is the process of imaging the location of the patient's organ/tumor on a daily basis and comparing the tumor's current location to the location the organ/tumor was on the day the CT for the radiation treatment plan was completed. Example: The prostate often will move in excess of 2 cm in any direction based on the content of the patient's bladder and bowels. With IGRT we track the exact location of the prostate and compensate for the change in position on a daily basis.
IGRT is very important when using IMRT because this technology allows us to decrease the margin we treat around the tumor to 3mm or less. This precision of the exact position of the organ/tumor allows the application of IMRT to be even more effective.
TOR Meeting with my Doctors
Today started early, its been a very tough and stressful day. We have taken in so much information that my head is literally spinning on top of my shoulders. I will post up what information I have, but understand that I will most likely have to come in later and edit this post after Ive read it 4 or 5 times.
I arrived at the Greenebaum Cancer Center at The University of Maryland at 0815 this morning
We met with Dr Gui, after talking with him for almost an hour , I fired him and asked him to leave. I expressed to the other team members that I do not want this man on our team, and I do not want him near me. In a nut shell, is was unprepared, and very uneducated with the information I feel he needed to sucessfully treat me ,not to mention his lack of command with the English Language
So my All Star cast is;
I arrived at the Greenebaum Cancer Center at The University of Maryland at 0815 this morning
We met with Dr Gui, after talking with him for almost an hour , I fired him and asked him to leave. I expressed to the other team members that I do not want this man on our team, and I do not want him near me. In a nut shell, is was unprepared, and very uneducated with the information I feel he needed to sucessfully treat me ,not to mention his lack of command with the English Language
So my All Star cast is;
Tiffani Tyer- CRNP
Dr Bruce Greenwald M.D. Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Thoracic Oncology
Dr Whitney Burrows M.D. General Surgery, Thoracic Surgery
Dr Naomi Horiba, M.D., MPH , Thoracic Oncology
Dr Naomi Horiba, M.D., MPH , Thoracic Oncology
Dr Suntha, M.D. Radiation Oncology, Thoracic Oncology,
I have faith and trust with my Doctors and I believe in them and that they will get me through this. It will be hard, but I must do exactly what they tell me to do.
I was told today that, FIRST and most importantly, I MUST gain weight ! I have lost another 7 pounds this week just since last Monday. Apparently my Cancer is stealing my glucose, fat, and calories before my body can use them, thats why I am aged looking and losing weigh so rapidly. It is very important that I pack on the pounds before treatment because I will lose more weight that I cant afford to lose.
I have what they call Antral Carcinoma of the Esophagus. It is locally very advanced and is classified as a Stage T-3 Lesion. It is approxamatly 5 Cm long and 11 cm thick. Length does not matter however, its the thickness that makes this such a big ordeal.
I have 2 Lymph Nodes that are Cancerous, one low into the Esopogus and one up high near the neck. This presents a problem with treatment due to the large area that the Cancer has spread too, and needs to be treated.
I was initially under the impression that Esophagus Cancer was a Cancer that was very easily treated and removed but I was wrong, this type of Cancer is very rare and difficult to fight. There are only 15,000 cases of Esophogas Cancer reprted a year. Well you know me, If I am going to do it, Im going to do it right !
My upcoming schedule is this:
Stress Test to make sure that my Heart is strong enough for the upcoming treatment.
Pulmonary Tests to make sure that my Lungs have enough capcity to with stand Radiation Treatment, since Radiation Theropy with take some Lung capacity away from me due to the burning process.
Feeding Tube~ I will have a feeding tube permanantly/surgically installed to the front of my body for night time feeding. Make it a Pepperoni Pizza please !
Once all of this is accomplished Dr Horiba will take the Helm and giude me through and start my Chemotherapy and Radiation Treatment that will be done concurantly.
I will be administered Cisplatin and 5-Fluorouracil together on the first day of treatment , predicted to start around the first week of June and then will be given 5-Fluorouracil for the remaining 5 1/2 weeks everyday.
Side effects to the treatment will vary depending on the individual of course but technology has come a long way with new medications to counter act the effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation treatment. But some of the most common side effects that I may come accross are; Burning when swallowing, Nausea, painful mouth sores, fatigue and diarhea. Oh goody !
Once we get all of the radiation I will be sent back to Dr. Greenwald for another PETSCAN to see what the progression of the Cancer is, if that goes well then I be picked up by Dr. Burrows who will then take over from Dr Horiba and surgically remove my entire Esopagus. From what I understand my Esphogas will be removed compleatly and then my Stomach will be stretched up to meet my Trachea. From there who knows !
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