New Hope for Winning the War Against Cancer

For years, radiation oncologists have faced a frustrating challenge… knowing they would have a better chance of eradicating a tumor by delivering a high dose of radiation, yet knowing that such a dose may pose a substantial risk to a patient’s surrounding tissue and organs. Therefore, their only option was to treat some patients with less radiation than ideal.

 
Technological advancements have risen to the challenge. A new therapy called Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), combined with the introduction of multi-leaf collimation (MLC) has significantly changed the way radiation is delivered. With this new approach physicians have the ability to direct the radiation beam in from different angles and shape it to wrap around tumors. This limits radiation exposure to surrounding tissue and delivers a higher dose to precise areas.

MLC uses 120 computer-controlled metal leaves that continually change shape during the treatment to “sculpt” the radiation beams to the tumor and block radiation from healthy tissue. This new technique can be used on virtually any tumor site where complex blocking is required to protect normal tissue.

In 2004, the first treatment in the South Bay using IMRT combined with MLC took place at Little Company of Mary’s Radiation Oncology Department at Del Amo Diagnostic Center. Co-medical director Alessandra Amadeo, MD, says, “a great value of this new treatment is that we can increasingly conform the field edge around the target, thereby minimizing potential damage to healthy tissue surrounding the tumor, resulting in less short-term and long-term side effects.”

Traditional treatment for tumors in the head and neck would deliver radiation to an area the shape of a square or rectangle and run the risk of damaging salivary ducts. Many times the patient would then suffer from a life of chronic dry mouth and dental cavities. “Now we are able to increasingly tailor the radiation to the the tumor, deliver less radiation to the salivary glands, and reduce long-term side effects,” Amadeo says.   Continue »

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