Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT)

Overview

Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) uses a variety of 2-D, 3-D and 4-D imaging techniques throughout the course of radiation therapy to accurately identify, pinpoint and monitor your tumor for changes. IGRT increases the probability of tumor control and typically results in shorter radiation therapy schedules.

Before treatment, your doctor will use some combination of computerized tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scan to define the size, shape and location of your tumor and any nearby critical organs at risk. The types of imaging techniques chosen depend on your disease. Your doctor uses this imaging information to develop your radiation treatment plan and to maximize the dose to the tumor while avoiding surrounding healthy tissue.

Why choose Mayo Clinic for IGRT

• Expertise and experience. Mayo Clinic has highly skilled experts in IGRT and cancer care, offering vast experience gained from treating a high volume of people. Each year, Mayo treats many thousands of people with cancer, making it one of the largest cancer treatment centers in the nation.
• Multispecialty team. Mayo's highly trained radiation oncology team includes radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, oncology nurses, treatment planners (dosimetrists) and medical physicists. Your radiation oncology team works closely with medical oncologists, surgeons and other experts to coordinate the best care plan for you.
• State-of-the-art technology. Mayo Clinic's access to advanced IGRT technologies allows the care team to provide the most comprehensive treatment evaluation and delivery, tailored to your needs.
• Quality and safety. IGRT is a highly complex treatment. After developing the treatment plan, Mayo Clinic radiation oncologists partner with a dedicated and experienced physics team to ensure safe delivery of treatments, avoiding the risk of too much radiation.
• Comprehensive cancer center. Mayo Clinic Cancer Center meets strict standards for a National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center, recognizing scientific excellence and a multispecialty approach focused on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and in Jacksonville, Fla., are ranked among the Best Hospitals for cancer by U.S. News & World Report.

Mayo Clinic: Answers you can trust

At Mayo Clinic, we assemble a team of specialists who take the time to listen and thoroughly understand your health issues and concerns. We tailor the care you receive to your personal health care needs. You can trust our specialists to collaborate and offer you the best possible outcomes, safety and service.

Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical institution that reinvests all earnings into improving medical practice, research and education. We're constantly involved in innovation and medical research, finding solutions to improve your care and quality of life. Your doctor or someone on your medical team is likely involved in research related to your condition.

Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care — and trusted answers — like they've never experienced.

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