4D radiotherapy refers to any of the techniques when the movement of the tumor is taken into account, not only during treatment but also during planning. This means that when the CT scan system is scanning the patient, it does not only acquire the images at a particular moment, but also a series of images where the treatment area can be seen in various potential positions. The planning system then uses these images to reproduce the real movement of the patient.
This technique is mainly used for pulmonary lesions with a high level of mobility and whenever the patient’s condition permits it.
In the IMOR Institute, it is used for ‘GATING’, which consists of irradiating the tumor only when it is in a certain position to avoid the irradiation of healthy tissues.
State-of-the-art technology: 4D radiotherapy
In IMOR Instituto, we have a team of specialists in the field of oncological radiotherapy. For us it is a pleasure and satisfaction to have the best radiotherapy technology: state-of-the-art technology that allows us to adapt the radiation beam perfectly even in cases where it affects the patient’s breathing movement during the application of the treatment.
This is the case, for example, of breast cancer, in which we can reduce the toxicity in adjacent organs by at least 5% as well as the side effects caused by cancer treatments at a large extent thanks to these technical resources. This ensures much more safety and health since organs like the heart are much less affected. It is also valid in the cases of other tumors, such as lung cancer.
The breathing movement is no longer such a clear complication in many cases of cancer thanks to this technology of 4D radiotherapy. If you need to know more about our treatments, do not hesitate to contact us.