A Revolution in the Fight against CANCER!
Cancer is a feared disease. A diagnosis of cancer or even a suspicion of cancer causes fear and paranoia. Though many other diseases have worse outcome than most cases of cancer, cancer is the subject of widespread fear and taboo. The main reason for this is the assumption that cancer is not curable and Cancer treatment is very painful!
However, with the latest innovations in cancer care, cure for most of the cancers is now a reality. One of many such innovative techniques is TomoTherapy. The TomoTherapy Treatment System is the only radiation therapy system designed on a CT scanner foundation. The system looks like a CT scanner because it is one!
What is TomoTherapy?
TomoTherapy is a form of computed tomography (CT) guided intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Daily low-dose CT imaging helps physicians know that radiation will reach the tumor as planned, and that exposure to healthy tissue will be minimized along the way. And, these daily images can be used to monitor and maintain the prescribed treatment during each and every treatment session.
Advantage of TomoTherapy
TomoTherapy Radiation can deliver highest doses to the tumor while restricting the dose to the normal tissue below critical levels. In this respect, it is far superior to any other present form of radiotherapy treatment.Exact location of the tumour and normal structures is verified daily during the treatment with the help of a CT scan and therefore there is no chance of a wrong treatment. Tumours, whether they are large or small, one or many, can be treated in the same session. Because of daily CT scan imaging, radiation can be adapted in real time to conform to a shrinking tumour.
- It is suitable for treating any cancer from head to toe with maximum clinical benefit and least side effects.
- It is possible to treat very large fields as in case of Bone Marrow Transplant and whole body radiotherapy.
- Recurrent cancers and simultaneous chemo-radiation can be treated safely due to less toxicity.
Treatable cancers with the help of TomoTherapy
The TomoTherapy® treatment system handles clinical indications of any complexity, from simple to large, and from head to toe. Hundreds and thousands of patients around the world have been treated on a TomoTherapy system. Some of the cancers treated with TomoTherapy system are:
TomoTherapy® treatment system helps in the treatment of breast cancer by concentrating on the breast tissue while avoiding the surrounding vital organs like heart and lung. It delivers a uniform dose in the breast, thus reduces skin reaction and breast fibrosis.
TomoHelical delivery allows prostate cancer treatment and lymph nodes while helping to avoid the bladder. The high dose is contained within the tumor while minimizing dose to the Rectum and Bladder.
Treatment of the tumor with a rapid falloff of dose to limit exposure to healthy lung tissue, while helping to avoid dose to the heart, mediastinum and spinal cord.
Required doses of radiation is delivered to the rectal cancer while sparing normal tissue and small bowel and thus reducing toxicity.
Brain Tumors
Whole brain radiation with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) thus preserving cognitive functions of the brain.
TomoTherapy is ideal for treating head and neck cancers as it can deliver very high doses to the tumor and the nodes even when they are situated very close to salivary glands, spine, swallowing organs etc without causing any damage to them.
Gynecological cancers
Cancers of cervix and endometrium can be treated effectively without causing any damage to the sensitive areas like rectum and bladder.
Paediatric tumors
In children, it is most important to reduce unnecessary radiation to the normal structures. No other radiotherapy technology can compete with tomotherapy in minimizing normal structure dose, therefore it is the ideal equipment for treating cancers in Children.
CRANIO-Spinal Radiotherapy
TomoHelical delivery allows treatment from the brain to the entire Spinal Cord with great ease and with excellent dose conformity to the target.
TomoTherapy delivers radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer as prescribed by a Radiation Oncologist. Oncologists have treated many types of cancers with the TomoTherapy system, ranging from routine to most complex. Many patients who have undergone the treatment reported reduced side effects as compared to the conventional forms of radiation therapy. The universal use of TomoTherapy for all different challenges in modal radiation oncology represents a new treatment option for very high conformal radiotherapy.
For further assistance and valuable information on TomoTherapy technology, consult Dr. P. Vijay Anand Reddy online at Ask Apollo.
Dr. Vijayanand Reddy P
Sr. Consultant, Professor & Head Director,
Apollo Cancer Institute Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad
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