For many years, external beam radiation therapy has been used to shrink or eradicate cancerous tumors. This technique delivers a small fraction of the total radiation dose over many sessions, allowing non-cancerous cells in the target area time to repair themselves between treatments. Today's radiosurgery systems use image guidance and computer controlled robotics to deliver high energy radiation to tumors with extreme accuracy, minimizing the effect of radiation on normal tissue and offering many patients a plausible alternative to surgery.
This program explores how radiosurgery technology uses digital imaging to track a tumor's position, detect any tumor or patient movement, and automatically correct the treatment delivery. The benefits of using radiosurgery technology are also discussed.