Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy
Powerful and Precise Treatment
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a highly focused cancer treatment that delivers very intense doses of radiation aimed precisely at cancer cells while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue. SBRT uses the latest image guidance technologies to treat difficult to reach tumors with millimeter-scale accuracy.
SBRT begins with one or more sessions of treatment planning with CT, MRI or other advanced imaging techniques to precisely map the position of the tumor. The images are used to customize a treatment plan that determines beam intensity and positioning specifically for each patient. SBRT treatments are delivered through a device called the linear accelerator, which forms beams of radiation to match the exact outline of the tumor. During this minimally-invasive outpatient procedure, patients are awake and lying on a table. Imaging technology on the linear accelerator ensures you are in same position for every session to allow for precision treatment and reduced side effects. SBRT treatments take 30 minutes to an hour and can usually be given in five or fewer daily sessions, depending on the patient’s condition and the type and location of the tumor. By contrast, conventional radiation treatment delivers much smaller doses of radiation, daily, over several weeks. With SBRT, the high dose of radiation delivered to the tumor has improved treatment outcomes in a manner previously not achievable by conventional radiation therapy.