North Shore Radiation Therapy Offers Prostate Cancer Patients The Latest Tool For...

North Shore Radiation Therapy Offers Prostate Cancer Patients The Latest Tool For Precise Treatment

Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) For Prostate Cancer
Available in New York
HUNTINGTON, N.Y.--(Business Wire)--
Technology to deliver high dose radiotherapy for cancer treatment
has constantly been improving and physicians in continue to be faced
with the difficulty of treating a moving target. Sophisticated
techniques such as intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) have
been developed to produce highly conformal beams to minimize dose to
healthy tissues. However, without accounting for organ motion, the
benefits of these technologies cannot be realized. Radiation
Oncologists at North Shore Radiation Therapy in New York are able to
account for this motion.

The introduction of image guided radiation therapy, or IGRT, has
revolutionized the delivery of modern day radiotherapy for prostate
cancer. IGRT combines imaging with treatment delivery to provide up to
real-time of the patient's organs in the treatment position, at the
time of treatment, optimizing accuracy and precision. Organs
including, but not limited to the lung, prostate and bladder tend to
move as much as centimeters during the course of treatment and image
guidance allows the physician to target and track tumors with pinpoint
precision.

There are several techniques used to achieve image guided
radiation therapy for prostate cancer. For some tumors, gold markers
can be placed in the tumor. The patient is imaged daily prior to each
radiation treatment. This is called on board imaging, or OBI. Patients
who prefer not to have markers placed can be treated with other image
guided techniques such as cone beam CT scan or ultrasound. In cone
beam CT, the imager is rotated around the patient to quickly acquire a
high-quality, low dose 3-D image of the tumor and surrounding anatomy.
These 3-D images are compared to reference images from the treatment
plan. Through 3-D image matching, which can be accomplished manually
or automatically, shifts are calculated and the patient is moved into
position for treatment. This technique is particularly useful for
treatment sites that are far away from bony landmarks.

With the third technique, an ultrasound is performed daily prior
to each treatment. The images are compared with reference images and
the patient is shifted accordingly.

"Image guided radiation therapy allows physicians to treat with
pinpoint accuracy diseases including brain tumors, prostate cancer,
esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and spine tumors, as well as many
others" stated Dr. Heather Zinkin, a board certified Radiation
Oncologist at North Shore Radiation Therapy.

Their facilities house state of the art technology and patients
can be treated using on board imaging, cone beam CT and ultrasound for
high precision therapy.

About North Shore Radiation Therapy

Since 1988, North Shore Radiation Therapy has provided premier
radiation therapy services to Suffolk County. The center offers 3-D
Conformal Radiation Therapy, IMRT, IGRT, SRS (Stereotactic
Radiosurgery), RapidArc, Prostate Brachytherapy, Mammosite and
Gynecological Brachytherapy. North Shore Radiation Therapy is the most
experienced in prostate cancer treatment in Suffolk County. The center
is staffed by board certified physicians, and highly trained
clinicians with expertise in utilizing the most advanced radiation
therapy technology. Located at in Huntington, and Smithtown, New York,
the center is open Monday through Friday, and accepts all insurance
plans. Appointments can be made by calling (631) 427-2273. You can
visit the website at www.cancer-radiation.com.

North Shore Radiation Therapy
Jeffrey S. Musmacher, 631-427-2273
jmusmacher@cancer-radiation.com
http://www.cancer-radiation.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008