Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)

Overview

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced type of radiation therapy used to treat cancer and noncancerous tumors. IMRT uses advanced technology to manipulate beams of radiation to conform to the shape of a tumor.

IMRT uses multiple small radiation beams of varying intensities to precisely radiate a tumor. The radiation intensity of each beam is controlled, and the beam shape changes throughout each treatment. The goal of IMRT is to bend the radiation dose to avoid or reduce exposure of healthy tissue and limit the side effects of treatment.

Why choose Mayo Clinic for IMRT

• Teamwork. 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 for you.
• Precise treatment planning. Mayo Clinic doctors use the latest imaging techniques to carefully plan radiation treatments. Doctors use CT scans, MRI scans and positron emission tomography (PET) scans to create a treatment plan that targets just the tumor. Careful planning before IMRT allows doctors to use higher doses of radiation to treat the tumor, while sparing the nearby healthy tissue from damage.
• Experience. Mayo Clinic experts have experience using IMRT to treat many types of tumors. Radiation oncologists at Mayo Clinic consider IMRT to be ideal for treating prostate cancer, as well as cancerous and noncancerous tumors of the head and neck and other organs that lie near the optic nerves, brain, salivary glands, bladder, rectum, small bowel, kidneys, liver, lungs and spinal cord.
• Latest technology. Mayo Clinic radiation oncologists use the latest in radiation therapy technology to care for patients, such as a more advanced form of IMRT called volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT). VMAT technology allows doctors even more control over radiation beams to precisely reach the tumor. VMAT exposes healthy tissue to less radiation. VMAT treatment takes a fraction of the time it takes to perform traditional IMRT.
• Comprehensive cancer center. Mayo Clinic Cancer Center meets strict standards for a National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center, which recognizes scientific excellence and a multispecialty approach focused on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

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