SAVANNAH, Ga. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- How do you hit a moving target when that target is a tumor? A breakthrough in radiation treatment is giving doctors a new, more accurate way to attack tumors that uses four-dimensional imaging to zero-in on cancer.

In church, Ken Sanders finds peace. A respite from his two year battle with throat cancer.

"It makes me feel wonderful, it’s the saving grace, I guess," Sanders says.

Every day, Sanders gets IGRT -- image guided radiation therapy. The new four-dimensional imaging system is designed to target tumors, compensate for their motion, and miss healthy tissue around them, making it much more precise than traditional radiation.

"It was as if you were hit by a shot gun, and now it’s as if we have a laser-guided painting gun. We can put the dose into a very specific target and miss the normal tissue," says Morris Geffen, M.D., Medical Director of the Savannah Oncology Center in Savannah, Ga.
 

And because tumors move, before every treatment, the 4-D scan updates the location of the tumor. Then the radiation can be realigned to hit the target.

"Not only is the precision better but we’re now able to escalate the dose

to such a degree that we can cure more cancers. One of the more famous radiation oncologists in the world paraphrased that this is the most significant advance in cancer management in the last 25 years," Dr. Geffen says.

M’liss Mahn had an inoperable tumor behind her eye.

"And the tumor was growing into my skull and it was so advanced that the lesions had spread to the side of my face," Mahn says.

Over 8 weeks of IGRT, doctors targeted her tumor with high doses of radiation, but were able to spare her eyes, hearing and fragile healthy tissue in her face. Now, she’s cancer free, appreciating every day.

"Oh it absolutely saved my life," Mahn says.

Dr. Geffen says improved accuracy with this new system means better results and fewer side effects for the patient.


FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

St. Joseph's/Candler Hospital
http://www.sjchs.org

Savannah Oncology Center
http://www.savannahoncologycenter.com