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IGRT (Image-Guided Radiation Therapy)
- Days In Hospital 1 days
- Outside Hospital Stay 7 days
- Success Rate 82%
Minimum Cost
$ 4000
Maximum Cost.
$ 6000
Overview of IGRT (Image-Guided Radiation Therapy) in India
Image-Guided Radiation Therapy, or IGRT, is a go-to treatment for many people fighting cancer. If you’re weighing your options, here’s what you need to know. Cancer takes a toll—not just the disease itself, but also the treatments. Chemotherapy, for example, often leaves its mark long after it’s done. But IGRT? It offers some real hope, giving strong results with fewer side effects.
So, what’s IGRT all about? It’s a type of radiotherapy that uses imaging every time you get treated. Basically, doctors zap cancer cells with powerful beams of radiation, and thanks to the real-time images, they can zero in on the tumor with a lot more precision. These crisp images let them use higher doses where it counts, which means treatment can work faster. IGRT works for all kinds of cancer, too—making it a solid option for a lot of people.
What Is Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (Igrt)?
Image-guided radiation therapy, or IGRT, is a way to treat cancer using radiation. The main goal? Kill off cancer cells and shrink or wipe out tumors. Doctors often use IGRT when the tumor’s in a spot that moves around a lot—think about a tumor in your lung that shifts every time you breathe. To hit the target just right, the radiation team lines things up every single day. IGRT makes that possible.
IGRT falls under external beam radiation therapy, or EBRT, and uses a machine called a linear accelerator—most people just call it a LINAC. This machine sends powerful X-ray or photon beams right into the tumor, blasting the cancer cells. It never actually touches your body.
Like other EBRT methods, IGRT relies on imaging scans to zero in on the tumor or the area packed with cancer cells. Here’s what’s different: with IGRT, the team takes images right before and even during your treatment. That way, if your tumor has shifted even a little, they can adjust things on the spot. The radiation stays locked on the cancer, sparing as much healthy tissue as possible.
Why Doctors Recommend IGRT?
A technique called IGRT delivers radiation to the cancerous areas of the body. This might include cancers located close to certain organs that can be damaged by radiation therapy or tumours that may move in between treatments.
Many different types of patients with various types of cancer can take advantage of the following benefits of IGRT:
- Higher levels of precision and accuracy for doctors.
- Doctors can monitor the exact location and size of the tumour and shape of the tumour much better than they otherwise would with other forms of radiation delivery.
- Tumours become more responsive as doctors are now able to safely deliver higher doses of radiation than they were able to before, and still provide effective treatment with IGRT.
- As with all radiation techniques, the precision of IGRT has reduced the exposure of surrounding healthy tissues to excess radiation, resulting in fewer adverse effects from the treatment to patients.
Types of IGRT (Image-Guided Radiation Therapy):
IGRT can be separated into radiation-based and non-radiation-based systems based on the imaging techniques used.
Non-radiation-based System
- Ultrasound-based system
- Camera-based (infrared) or optical tracking system
- Electromagnetic tracking system
- MRI-guided IGRT
Radiation-based System
- Electronic portal imaging devices
- Cone beam CT or CBCT
- Fan beam KV CT (CT-on-rails)
- Hybrid systems for real-time 4D tracking
Procedure:
In IGRT, doctors use a linear accelerator—sometimes called a cyclotron or synchrotron—to deliver treatment. This machine comes with advanced imaging tools, so they can snap clear pictures of the tumor right before or even during the session. By comparing these fresh images with the ones taken during planning, the team can tweak the aim and get the radiation exactly where it needs to go, sparing healthy tissue as much as possible.
For imaging, they might use CT scans, MRI, ultrasound, or just plain X-rays. Sometimes, they’ll place little markers on your skin, or even implant them inside your body, to help line everything up. The whole process starts with positioning you according to marks that outline the treatment area. Depending on the technique, you might need to hold your breath for half a minute or so. If they use fiducial markers or electromagnetic transponders, those usually go in about a week before the initial setup, using a needle.
On the day of treatment, they’ll take another image—maybe an X-ray, maybe a CT, or an ultrasound—to double-check your position. If anything’s off, they adjust you right then. Once everything lines up, the machine delivers the radiation straight to the target.
What Happens During Image-Guided Radiation Therapy?
Similar to other forms of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), the person receiving treatment lies down on the therapy table and receives beams of energy directed at their cancerous tumour by a machine. In between treatment sessions, a provider may do a new imaging scan to compare with old imaging scans taken during treatment simulation.
Each time you undergo treatment, your radiation oncologist and/or member(s) from their care team will perform an imaging scan before you have a session so they can monitor how well your cancer is responding to treatment.
Scans may be used in image-guided radiation therapy, such as:
- Radiographs.
- CT (computed tomography) scans.
- Scans using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- Scans using positron emission tomography (PET).
- Ultrasound examination.
Occasionally, the radiation-delivering device incorporates integrated imaging technology. At other times, the treatment table may be moved to the treatment room's imaging equipment by your radiation oncology team.
Recovery
Most people handle radiotherapy pretty well, but like any treatment, it can cause side effects. These side effects really depend on a few things: what type of radiation you’re getting, how much, where it’s aimed, and how deep the tumor sits. Everyone’s experience is different, so don’t get caught up comparing your side effects to someone else’s.
While you’re having radiation, keep in touch with your radiation oncologist as they recommend. If anything feels off, talk to your doctor or nurse—they’re there to help you manage whatever comes up. Stick to the advice your oncologist gives you, and take your medications just like they tell you.
Best Doctors in India
Cost of IGRT (Image-Guided Radiation Therapy) in India
We Know Affordable Healthcare Is Important To Many Individuals And That Is Why We Provide Competitive Rates On Many Types Of Medical Treatments Such As Image-Guided Radiation Therapy.
Price of Image-Guided Radiation Therapy Begins At $5000 And Meets the Highest Quality Standards Possible.
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Indications of IGRT (Image-Guided Radiation Therapy):
Numerous cancer types can be treated using IGRT. However, it is especially helpful for the treatment of malignancies that may change between radiation treatments due to its flexible administration. Because of its accuracy, IGRT is also a perfect treatment for tumours that are close to delicate or vital organs and/or tissues.
Cancers commonly treated with IGRT include:
- Lung cancer
- Liver cancer
- Pancreas cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Breast cancer
- Brain cancer
- Spine cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Bone cancer
- Lymphoma
Risk Factors:
After the treatment, the adverse effects may appear right away or much later. Among the frequently observed early adverse consequences are:
- Fatigue
- Increased sensitivity in the skin
- Swelling, irritation and redness on the skin
- Dryness and itchiness
- Peeling and blistering
- Hair loss in the affected area
- Difficulty in swallowing food
- Digestion problems
- Diarrhoea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache
- Soreness in the treated area
- Changes in the bladder movements
Changes or impaired function in the following areas are some of the negative effects that could develop later:
- Brain
- Lungs
- Spinal cord
- Colon and rectum
- Fertility
- Joints
- Lymphatic system
- Oral cancer
In addition to the previously described adverse effects, radiation therapy carries a small risk of cancer. For this reason, even after the treatment is over, you will see your doctor on a monthly basis to keep an eye on your health.