The American Cancer Society estimates that in the District of Columbia alone, there are 2,800 new cancer patients diagnosed every year.
Radiation therapy, which uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells, is used in more than half of all cancer treatments today. The George Washington University Hospital Radiation Oncology Center has some of the most advanced technology for treating cancer with radiation.
With the Clinac® 21EX Linear Accelerator from Varian Medical Systems, The GW Hospital offers patients Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), a precise and sophisticated treatment technology for treating cancer. Used in conjunction with multi-modality imaging, IMRT allows technicians to plan for and deliver higher does of radiation while minimizing the effects to healthy tissue.
IMRT technology is used to treat patients with prostate, head and neck, brain, breast, pancreatic and other cancers.
How It Works
A form of three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, IMRT links treatment planning with sophisticated software that actually drives the treatment. MRT offers tremendous potential for improving the efficiency and efficacy of radiation therapy, offering a significant opportunity to improve patient outcomes.
At GW Hospital's Radiation Oncology Center, clinicians work with the medical physics staff to use highly advanced treatment planning software to determine the best solution and IMRT treatment for each patient. Whether the goal is dose escalation or simply the desire to reduce complications, IMRT equips clinicians with advanced tools available in the fight against cancer.