Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) at The Regional Cancer Center Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is one of the most advanced treatment methods available in radiation oncology. This new treatment allows doctors to increase the dose of radiation to tumors while decreasing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. The Regional Cancer Center has advanced equipment capable of delivering IMRT. Doctors are first using the new system to treat patients with cancers, such as prostate and head and neck. The beams can be focused to carefully target cancer cells with minimal harm to surrounding healthy tissue. Treating cancer with laser-like precision has the ability to greatly improve both patient comfort and cure rates by protecting the healthy tissue while delivering higher doses to the tumor. IMRT shapes the radiation field and dose to accurately match the tumor size and shape. It allows doctors to use radiation to treat areas that before would have been considered too risky. Once a patient is identified as a candidate for IMRT, a CT scan will be done for treatment planning purposes. These images will be entered into the treatment planning computer system, and an IMRT treatment plan created. To help one understand how IMRT works, imagine each image or picture as a checkerboard. Every square on the checkerboard will be assigned a specific dose of radiation for each image that is taken. When one layers the checkerboards on top of one another, one can see how radiation therapy can be shaped to target tumor tissue yet spare healthy tissue. The patient is then treated on a machine called a linear accelerator. This machine has mechanical fingers or 'leaves' built within it. This is called a multi-leaf collimator. The leaves or fingers will move within the machine and shape the beam of radiation. The patient may hear clicking as the 'leaves' move during treatment. The Regional Cancer Center is proud to provide the newest treatment available. Please ask your doctor, therapist, or nurse if you have any questions about your treatment. Return To Commonly Asked Questions Return To Patient Area