Like a global positioning system for the body, radiation from X-rays is now being used in precisely targeted ways to help fight cancer.

The Georgia Radiation Therapy Center at MCG Health System, a community-based radiation therapy provider, recently acquired the latest linear accelerator technology to treat cancerous tumors with targeted X-ray radiation known as SmartBeam Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy. "The goal of radiation therapy is to provide the maximum dose to the tumor, while mitigating the effect on normal cells. IMRT allows us to do this, focusing radiation on the tumor site and sparing healthy tissue," said Dr. Chris Sheils, a radiation oncologist at the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center. "As a result, patients experience few, if any, side effects from the treatments."

"The new technology basically acts as a GPS [global positioning system] for the body," adds Shawn Vincent, Administrative Director of the MCG Cancer Center. "Treatment information, individualized to each patient, is uploaded into the machine and enables more precise, focused radiation delivery to the tumor."

SmartBeam IMRT allows radiation oncologists at the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center to treat tiny tumors with radiation beams as small as a pencil tip. The technology can also conform these beams into the exact shape of the tumor, which helps in the treatment of irregularly-shaped tumors.

The linear accelerator, which creates and delivers the focused radiation beams, can also revolve 360 degrees around the patient for the best beam placement.

Along with IMRT, a new feature of this technology is respiratory gating, in which the patient’s natural movements during breathing are tracked. While not appropriate for all tumors, respiratory gating allows the radiation beam to be turned on and off as necessary to ensure that the beam is delivered precisely and spares healthy tissue, even during the patient’s tiniest movements.

Because the technology is so precise, higher radiation doses may be given to tumors while surrounding organs and tissues remain protected. "Studies have shown improvement in controlling, shrinking and eliminating tumors because of this type of radiation therapy," said Dr. Shiels.

The Georgia Radiation Therapy Center is located on the campus of MCG Health System and is used by radiation oncologists across the community to provide care for cancer patients.

MCG Health System is composed of three separate organizations -- MCG Health, Inc. and the clinical services offered by the faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the members of the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation. The physicians of MCG Health System are community physicians, faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia, or employees of the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation, not employees of MCG Health, Inc. MCG Health, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCG Medical Center, MCG Children’s Medical Center, the MCG Sports Medicine Center, MCG Ambulatory Care Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center and related clinical facilities and services. MCG Health, Inc. was formed to support the research and education mission of the Medical College of Georgia and to build the economic growth of the CSRA, the state of Georgia and the Southeast by providing an environment for faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation and community physicians to deliver the highest level of primary and specialty health care. For more information, please visit www.MCGHealth.org.