What Is Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT)?

Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) — sometimes called image-guided adaptive radiation therapy or IGART — is a method of disease management. It uses advanced imaging technology to monitor your cancer treatment throughout the entire process.

In traditional radiation therapy, doctors diagnose, stage, and image your disease at the beginning of treatment. They use this data to plan the whole course of cancer treatment upfront.

Thanks to the advances in imaging, doctors now know that your anatomy and the tumor's size and shape can change during radiation treatment.

As such, they can now adjust your treatment plan — mid-course — to adapt to these changes and find the best approach for your unique circumstance.

Benefits of Image-Guided Radiation Therapy

IGRT uses advances in imaging to track these changes through all stages of your cancer treatment.

By re-imaging and modifying your treatment plan at key points, radiation oncologists are able to respond as the disease reacts to the therapy.

This can result in:

• Better cancer treatment.
• More precise and effective radiation therapy.
• Fewer side effects.

Contact Us About Radiation Oncology at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

To learn more about radiation treatments or to make an appointment you can:

• Call 412-647-2811
• Contact a UPMC Hillman Cancer Center near you.