New standards needed for radiation therapy

Modern radiation techniques result in substantial variation between the prescribed dose and the actual dose of radiation delivered to the tumor, according to a study published online February 26 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. As a result of this newly uncovered trend, the authors are calling for national guidelines for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

IMRT systems are designed to deliver the prescribed dose of radiation to a tumor while sparing surrounding tissues. IMRT does this by delivering many small beams of radiation that are individually controlled. Because of the complexity of the system, radiation oncologists and physicists rely on special software and equipment to deliver the planned dose over the treatment area.

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