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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Tomotherapy

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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?

The TomoTherapy system is a pioneering radiation therapy platform …show more content…

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 …show more content…

Hundreds and thousands of patients around the

world have been treated on a TomoTherapy system. Some of the cancers treated with

TomoTherapy system are:

Breast Cancer

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 an uniform dose in the breast, thus reduces skin reaction and breast fibrosis.

Prostate Cancer

TomoHelical delivery allows treatment of the prostate 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.

Lung Cancer

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.

Rectal Cancer

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

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