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Mesothelioma tomotherapy
By Eden Ali | July 6, 2007
Radiation oncology field of mesothelioma treatments rapidly changes as new and improved mesothelioma treatments methods are discovered. Majority of these changes are due to improved applications of computer and their effective use in the equipments used for mesothelioma diagnosis and dose administration. The newest methodology in this aspect is known as helical tomotherapy, allowing the radiation oncologist to administer radiation therapy to the mesothelioma patients with surgical accuracy. This brings the outcome of several efficient mesothelioma treatments while on the other hand healthy cells, and tissue are spared, and side effects are reduced greatly.
Originally, the combining of spiral CT scan and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) which is a state-of-the-art technology is currently used at a rapidly increasing number of mesothelioma centers across the nation. The following steps show a brief description of the process of helical tomotherapy.
1. 3-D imaging is usually carried out with equipments ofstandard CT imaging.
The radiation oncologist will use certain software to determine the contour for different target volume and recognises the cells, and tissues at risk. The mesothelioma doctors then determines the dose the area targeted should be given and also the dose that the cells, and tissues at risk can accept.
2. The mesothelioma doctors then transfer the 3-D data and the target volume contours, with the specific cells, and tissues at risk to the tomotherapy mesothelioma treatments computer which then carry out the administration with a specified calculations with inclusions of the gantry angles of leaf positions and positions of couch for the mesothelioma patients.
3. There is the transfer of the computer planning data to the tomotherapy unit for delivery performance.
A CT scan is done immediately before mesothelioma treatments to acertain the anatomical targets and the position of the mesothelioma patients. This allows for the opportunity to take certain applicable adjustments in order to make sure the exact dose is delivered.
4. After confirmation of the above by the mesothelioma doctors, then there is the delivery of the dose to the mesothelioma patients.
During the process of treatment, the actual radiation amount given to the patient is determined by the mesothelioma doctors, in order to check if the delivered dose is the same as the planned dose.
Topics: Mesothelioma treatment ways |