TomoTherapy combines the
three important steps of radiation therapy
into one seamless process:

Treatment Planning
Before beginning treatment, the radiation oncologist uses 3-D images from CT scanning and special software to map out the precise area of the tumor to be treated, while carefully detailing any sensitive organs or structures around it that must be protected. The radiation oncologist decides how much radiation the tumor should receive. Then the TomoTherapy system calculates the right pattern, position, and intensity of the radiation beam to be delivered.

Patient Positioning
Before each TomoTherapy treatment, a special CT scan called a helical scan is taken to verify the position of the tumor and adjust the patient's position, if necessary, to make sure the radiation is directed right where it should be. Because some tumors can change their shape or shift from day to day and because a patient's position may change slightly from treatment session to treatment session, this pre-treatment helical scan provides an extra measure of safety and quality assurance that the treatment will be delivered precisely.

TomoTherapy is today's most accurate image-guided radiotherapy. Using TomoTherapy's image registration process, a member of the radiation oncology team then superimposes images taken during the treatment planning process and the one taken directly prior to treatment on a monitor and then manually. These planning images can be adjusted to get the best match, pinpointing the exact location where treatment is to be directed. The patient then moves through the linear accelerator (the machine that delivers the radiation) to check the positioning, which can be adjusted, if needed, prior to the actual treatment.

Treatment Delivery
TomoTherapy combines IMRT with a helical pattern to deliver painless, precise radiation therapy based on each patient's customized plan. Rotating radiation beams accurately shape the radiation to the contours of the tumor and can even treat multiple sites at the same time. The entire process of positioning and treatment takes only minutes.