Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)

Willis Knighton Health pioneers intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), a means of delivering highly precise and conformal radiation therapy. During treatment, the beam is constantly molded to the specific size and shape of the tumor to deliver the maximum therapeutic dose and leave adjacent healthy tissues with minimal exposure. When healthy tissues, such as the heart and lungs, spinal cord, rectum, bladder, or salivary glands receive less radiation, patients experience fewer side effects and a higher quality of life after treatment.

Because of the precise nature of IMRT images are taken prior to every treatment to verify the exact location of the tumor. Depending on the treatment machine used, these images may be a CT scan or a series of x-rays that are digitally modeled into a CT-type image. This allows our team to ensure that the proper dose of radiation is delivered to the tumor and surrounding structures.