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Conformal Radiation Treatment
Conformal radiation treatment is a technical method of delivering radiation beams in a more precise and tailored fashion compared to conventional radiation treatment. In conventional radiation treatment a target is primarily chosen based on regional anatomic landmarks. With conformal radiation treatment however, an actual target is defined and treatment beams are created to conform to that target. The clear advantage of this approach is that tumors are more accurately treated while uninvolved adjacent organs are spared of unnecessary radiation exposure.
Conformal radiation treatment requires immobilization of the patient using custom devices, thereby minimizing movement of the treatment target. Further, it requires detailed imaging of the patient’s anatomy in order to accurately design treatment beams. Computerized tomography (CT) scanning is commonly used for this purpose, and this scan is performed with the patient set in his treatment position. Finally, customized blocking is added to further shape the beam and excludes non-target organs. Multileaf collimation is one form of custom blocking that can be automated and computer driven for greater accuracy and ease of set up. |
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