3D CRT
All tumours are not alike. They appear in different shapes and sizes. Earlier, radiation beams were matched with the height and width of the tumour, exposing the healthy tissues to high doses of radiation. Advances in imaging techniques and technology now allow radiation and clinical oncologists in Kolkata, India to locate and treat the tumour with pinpoint accuracy.
Conformal radiation therapy uses this information to precisely target the tumour, while avoiding the adjacent healthy tissues. Dr. Sayan Paul, a renowned cancer doctor in Kolkata, uses 3D-CRT or three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy to find out the shape, size, and location of the tumour as well as surrounding organs through special imaging techniques like CT, PET or MRI scans.
This precision targeted therapy makes it possible to utilize higher levels of radiation for the treatment, which allows for more effective shrinking and killing of cancerous cells.
The 3D conformal therapy is quite similar to intensity-modulated radiation therapy in many ways. Both the therapies are used for targeting cancer while sparing the healthy tissues. The cancer specialist can then tailor the radiation beams to the shape and size of your tumour with multileaf collimators or custom fabricated field-shaping blocks.
How does Dr. Sayan Paul perform 3D CRT
Prior to treatment, you will take part in a radiation planning session, where the cancer specialist makes a custom-fit mould. The radiation oncologist will first take a 3D image of the tumour, using any of the following methods:
• PET scan
• CT scan
• MRI
• PET-CT scan
After that, a computer program examines the 3D image of the tumour and produces radiation beams that comply with the shape of the tumour.
What to Expect
Each 3D CRT session takes about 30 minutes.
Dr. Paul and his team of oncologists set up the treatment based on the 3D images of the tumour and the information obtained from the simulation.
1. You need to be in a lying position in the mould on the x-ray table.
2. During the treatment process, beams from several directions are precisely matched with the tumour’s width, height, and depth.
3. Linear accelerator rotates around the tumour area.
4. The actual treatment takes just a few minutes.
The cancer doctor will decide the treatment schedule, including the number of times you need to repeat the radiation treatment.
What are the Benefits of 3D CRT
Individuals with different cancer types have seen improvements after undergoing 3D CRT, including:
• Head and neck cancer
• Brain cancer
• Lung cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Liver cancer
To know more about 3D CRT and other forms of radiation oncology treatments, call Dr. Sayan Paul and make an appointment.
