By Thelma Kent
Tomotherapy refers to a form of radiation treatment where a radiation is transmitted slice after slice to different parts of the tumor in contrast to other forms of radiation therapy whereby the whole tumor(s) is exposed to radiation beams at a single go. The radiations forms are customized in order to meet the targeted tumor.
Delivery of different intensities of radiation in Tomotherapy is beneficial as it offsets the negative effects of patients movements as the patients receive treatment and the changes that the tumor undergoes in terms of shape and size. As a result, the patients do not suffer as many side effects and the course of medication takes a shorter time.
The movements that a patient makes during delivery of radiation doses are a headache to the physicians as these movements can make these radiation beams to hit and harm the surrounding healthy tissues. As a consequence, the actual cancer cells might not get treated although this might also be as a result of the alteration in shape of the tumor.
Patients who are likely to suffer the most are those with lung cancer because of the inconvenience caused by their breathing. Another cause for concern is how rapid that the lung cancer cells grow and change in shape and size. This makes it even more difficult for the physicians to properly treat their patients. Those patients who suffer from prostate cancer are also at a disadvantage because if their rectums or bladders fill up, their prostate glands tend to shift further complicating the treatment procedure.
The instrument that is used in Tomotherapy is popularly known as helical Tomotherapy is doughnut shaped and the cancer patient is made to lie on a table as he passes through the machine. Before undergoing the procedure, 3 dimensional images of the patient tumor are taken. This aids the physicians in identifying the highest degree of radiation that can kill the cancer cells but at the same time the degree should not be harmful to the neighboring tissue or cells.
Another major advantage of this type of radiation therapy is its ability to record the amount of radiation delivered and the location where it was delivered. This assists the radiology specialists to track the dosage and location of radiation and see whether it is effective on destroying the cancer tissues. They can also make elaborate changes or adjustments in their treatment plans to make the said plans more effective.
Delivery of different intensities of radiation in Tomotherapy is beneficial as it offsets the negative effects of patients movements as the patients receive treatment and the changes that the tumor undergoes in terms of shape and size. As a result, the patients do not suffer as many side effects and the course of medication takes a shorter time.
The movements that a patient makes during delivery of radiation doses are a headache to the physicians as these movements can make these radiation beams to hit and harm the surrounding healthy tissues. As a consequence, the actual cancer cells might not get treated although this might also be as a result of the alteration in shape of the tumor.
Patients who are likely to suffer the most are those with lung cancer because of the inconvenience caused by their breathing. Another cause for concern is how rapid that the lung cancer cells grow and change in shape and size. This makes it even more difficult for the physicians to properly treat their patients. Those patients who suffer from prostate cancer are also at a disadvantage because if their rectums or bladders fill up, their prostate glands tend to shift further complicating the treatment procedure.
The instrument that is used in Tomotherapy is popularly known as helical Tomotherapy is doughnut shaped and the cancer patient is made to lie on a table as he passes through the machine. Before undergoing the procedure, 3 dimensional images of the patient tumor are taken. This aids the physicians in identifying the highest degree of radiation that can kill the cancer cells but at the same time the degree should not be harmful to the neighboring tissue or cells.
Another major advantage of this type of radiation therapy is its ability to record the amount of radiation delivered and the location where it was delivered. This assists the radiology specialists to track the dosage and location of radiation and see whether it is effective on destroying the cancer tissues. They can also make elaborate changes or adjustments in their treatment plans to make the said plans more effective.
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