IGRT Radiotherapy cost in India

About Package

What is IGRT?

Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) is a method of radiation therapy that incorporates imaging techniques during each treatment session. Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams of radiation to control cancer and noncancerous tumors. By adding detailed images, IGRT ensures the powerful radiation is narrowly focused at the treatment area. When undergoing IGRT, high-quality images are taken before each radiation therapy treatment session. IGRT may make it possible to use higher doses of radiation, which increases the probability of tumor control and typically results in shorter treatment schedules.

Why it is done?

IGRT is used to treat all types of cancer, but it's particularly ideal for tumors and cancers located very close to sensitive structures and organs. IGRT is used as part of radiation treatment plans because it offers:

• Accurate delivery of radiation
• Improved definition, localization and monitoring of tumor position, size and shape before and during treatment
• The possibility of higher, targeted radiation dosage to improve tumor control
• Decreased radiation exposure to normal tissue surrounding the tumor

Image-Guided Radiation Therapy and how is it used

Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) is the use of frequent imaging during a course of radiation therapy for the purpose of improving the precision and accuracy of the delivery of radiation treatment.

• In IGRT, machines that deliver radiation, such as a linear accelerator linear (for x-ray or photon) or cyclotron/synchrotron (for proton), are equipped with special imaging technology that allow the physician to image the tumor immediately before or even during the time radiation is delivered, while the patient is positioned on the treatment table. Using specialized computer software, these images are compared to the reference images taken during simulation. Any necessary adjustments are made to the patient's position and/or radiation beams in order to more precisely target radiation at the tumor and avoid healthy surrounding tissue.
• Computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound (US) and x-ray imaging may be used for IGRT by visualizing bony or soft-tissue anatomy. Other methods for IGRT use markers placed on the patient's body surface or implanted within the patient's body.
• IGRT is used to treat tumors in areas of the body that are prone to movement, such as the lungs (affected by breathing), liver, pancreas, and prostate gland, as well as tumors located close to critical organs and tissues. It is often used in conjunction with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), proton beam therapy, stereotactic radio surgery, or stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), which is advanced modes of high-precision radiotherapy that utilize computer-controlled x-ray accelerators to deliver precise radiation doses to a malignant tumor or specific areas within the tumor. 

During Procedure

At the beginning of each radiation therapy session, the patient is carefully positioned guided by the marks on the skin defining the treatment area. Devices may be used to help the patient maintain the proper position. Images are then taken using imaging equipment that is built into the radiation delivery machine or mounted in the treatment room. Some IGRT techniques require patients to hold their breath for approximately 30 to 60 seconds. If IGRT requires fiducial markers or electromagnetic transponders inside the body, these will be inserted into the body with a needle about a week prior to the simulation process.

On each treatment day, depending on the type of IGRT used, an x-ray, CT scan or ultrasound will be obtained prior to the treatment. The physicians or a radiation therapist review the images and compare them to the reference images taken during simulation to make position adjustments. The patient may be repositioned and additional imaging may be performed. After any necessary adjustments are made to match with the patient's reference positioning, radiation therapy is delivered. The image-guidance process is expected to add additional time to each radiation therapy session.

Risks/side effects

Depending on the area being treated, other early side effects may include:

• hair loss in the treatment area
• mouth problems and difficulty swallowing
• eating and digestion problems
• diarrhea
• nausea and vomiting
• headaches
• soreness and swelling in the treatment area
• urinary and bladder changes

Late side effects, which are rare, occur months or years following treatment and are often permanent. They include:

• brain changes
• spinal cord changes
• lung changes
• kidney changes
• colon and rectal changes
• infertility
• joint changes
• lymphedema
• mouth changes
• secondary cancer

Using techniques such as IGRT, imaging specialists are maximizing the cancer-destroying capabilities of radiation treatment while minimizing its effect on healthy tissues and organs and the side effects of the treatment itself.

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