Radiation therapy options
At City of Hope, we use highly targeted forms of radiation to destroy cancer cells, shrink tumors and provide relief of common lung cancer symptoms. Depending on your treatment plan, you may receive radiation therapy alone or in combination with other medical treatments, which may include surgery, chemotherapy, and/or immunotherapy.
During radiation therapy, our oncologists deliver high radiation doses to cancerous cells, while working to spare healthy tissue. By focusing the radiation directly on the tumor or tumor bed, these therapies may reduce the risk of common side effects, including skin changes, fatigue and nausea.
City of Hope offers two types of radiation therapy for lung cancer:
- External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) delivers high doses of radiation to lung cancer cells from outside the body, using a variety of machine-based technologies.
- High-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy (internal radiation) delivers high doses of radiation from implants placed close to, or inside, the tumor(s) in the body.
External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)
External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) directs a beam of radiation from outside the body at cancerous tissues inside the body. Several types of EBRT may be use by radiation oncologists at City of Hope, depending on specific diagnosis.
Types of EBRT include:
3-D conformal radiation: This radiation therapy technique allows doctors to sculpt radiation beams to the shape of a tumor and is typically used on tumors with irregular shapes or that lie close to healthy tissues and organs, and may limit radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. 3-D conformal radiation also allows doctors to view tumors in three dimensions. Based on these images, the radiation beams are delivered to the tumor from several angles.
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): Advancedsoftware plans a precise dose of radiation, based on tumor size, shape and location. A computer-controlled device delivers the radiation in sculpted doses that match the 3-D geometrical shape of the tumor, including concave and complex shapes. The intensity of radiation beams can be adjusted across the treatment area in fractioned, separate beams as precision accuracy. This means higher doses of radiation can be delivered than traditional radiation therapy methods, while reducing exposure to healthy tissues. Because of its greater degree of accuracy, IMRT may be a treatment option for patients who have reached the maximum allowable dose of conventional radiation therapy and have a recurrent tumor in the treated area.
Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT): Tumors can shift inside the body, because of breathing and other movement. Image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) may allow doctors to locate and track tumors at the time of treatment and deliver more precise radiation treatment. This technology also allows our radiation oncologists to make technical adjustments when a tumor moves outside of the planned treatment range. As a result, the radiation treatment is targeted to the tumor as much as possible, helping to limit radiation exposure to healthy tissue and reduce common radiation side effects.
High-dose rate brachytherapy (HDR)
This internal radiation therapy delivers a high-dose of radiation from implants placed close to, or inside, the tumor(s) in a short burst lasting a few minutes. Before each treatment, we check the position of the catheters with millimeter precision. Next, a series of radioactive pellets are inserted into each catheter. Computer guidance controls (1) how far the pellet goes into the catheter to precisely target the location of tumors, and (2) how long the pellet stays in the catheter to release its radiation dose. With a few well-placed catheters, HDR brachytherapy can provide a precise treatment that takes only a few minutes. Brachytherapy offers a quicker, more effective type of radiation treatment for some patients.
