Image-guided Radiation Therapy

Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) is the use of imaging during radiation therapy to improve the precision and accuracy of treatment delivery.

How does Image-guided Radiation Therapy work?

Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) is the use of imaging during radiation therapy to improve the precision and accuracy of treatment delivery.

IGRT is used when treating tumours in areas of the body that move, such as the lungs. Radiation therapy equipment when used with imaging technology allows the radiographer to image the tumour before and during your treatment. By comparing treatment images to the images taken during treatment planning, the radiation beams may be adjusted to more precisely target the radiation dose to the tumour. To help line up and target the equipment, some IGRT procedures may use ultrasound, MRI, X-Ray images, CT scans, 3-D body surface mapping, or coloured ink markers on the skin.

If you undergo IGRT, your doctor will often use CT scanning to create reference images and to carry out a treatment simulation session. Other imaging procedures, such as a PET or MRI scan, may be used to help clarify the exact shape and location of your tumour, with a special device sometimes being created to help you maintain your exact position during each treatment.

We work together to combine the highest levels of consultant-led care and patient choice with the most advanced knowledge and understanding of the disease and its forms.

Cancers Image-guided Radiation Therapy can treat

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the growth of abnormal cells that begin in one or both lungs, often in the cells that line the air passages. The abnormal cells divide more quickly than normal cells and form tumours. The tumour increases in size and eventually learns to spread (metastasise) to other parts of the body via the blood stream.

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Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer usually develops slowly, so there may be no signs for many years but in a small proportion of men, it can grow more swiftly and in some cases spread to other parts of the body, in particular the bones. It is the most common cancer in men in the UK.

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Vaginal Cancer

Vaginal cancer occurs when normal cells change and develop in an abnormal way or form a malignant tumour. When cancer cells develop within the vagina itself, it is known as Primary Vaginal Cancer. If it spreads from another part of the body for example, from the neck (cervix) or lining of the womb, it is known as Secondary Vaginal Cancer.

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Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. Almost 60,000 women are diagnosed with this disease every year, with an extra 7,400 breast cancer sufferers diagnosed with an earlier, non-invasive form, confined to a specific area of the breast (usually milk ducts) but which may later acquire the ability to spread.

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Q. Will this treatment hurt?

A. No, administering this treatment won’t cause any pain. However, side-effects from the treatment may cause some discomfort.

Q. How long will the treatment take?

A. This treatment usually only takes a few minutes and is repeated over a set number of sessions based on your condition.

Q. What side effects can I expect?

A. Side effects are unique to each patient; however, they go away once the treatment is complete. Common side effects can include skin reactions and hair loss at the site of treatment, nutritional problems, fatigue, and a reduction in white blood cells.

Q. Will I be radioactive after the treatment?

A. No, once the treatment is complete you won’t be radioactive as the radiation is administered externally. Once complete it’s perfectly safe for you to be around other people.