Radiation therapy options

Radiation therapy may be an option if you have been diagnosed with rectal cancer. With a variety of sophisticated radiation therapy delivery systems, our radiation oncologists may be able to target difficult-to-reach tumors. By focusing radiation directly o the tumor or tumor bed, these therapies may reduce the risk of common radiation side effects. 

Some of the radiation therapies City of Hope offers to colorectal patients include:

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) 

EBRT is the most common type of radiation therapy used for cancer treatment. It directs a beam of radiation from outside the body at cancerous tissues inside the body. At City of Hope, our radiation oncologists use state-of-the-art technology to target tumors with precise doses of radiation, while limiting exposure to healthy tissue and nearby organs.

A variety of EBRT radiation therapies are available to patients at City of Hope including the following: 

3-D conformal radiation: This form of radiation allows doctors to view tumors in three dimensions and deliver radiation beams from several angles.

Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): IMRT is a radiation delivery system used to treat difficult-to-reach tumors. Using advanced software to plan a precise dose of radiation based on the size, shape and location of your tumor, a computer-controlled device delivers radiation in sculpted doses that match the three-dimensional shape of your tumor. IMRT may be an option if you have previously had conventional radiation therapy and are experiencing recurrent tumors in the treated area.

Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT): IGRT allows doctors to make technical adjustments to account for tumor movement due to breathing. 

Stereotactic radiation: Stereotactic radiation is design to deliver precise highly concentrated doses of radiation to small areas of the body.

TomoTherapy®: TomoTherapy combines an advanced form of IMRT with an onboard CT scanner designed for precise targeting of radiation. While traditional radiation therapies project radiation onto a tumor from only a few directions, TomoTherapy delivers radiation through a 360-degree delivery pattern. TomoTherapy may be an option if you have advanced stage or recurrent colorectal cancer and are no longer able to receive traditional radiation.