Recent advances in tomotherapy, intensity modulated and image guided radiation therapy

SUMMARY: Remarkable advances are evolving in radiation therapy technology that optimize the treatment of patients with cancer, with irradiation alone or combined with other modalities (surgery, chemotherapy, hormones or biologically targeted therapies). Accurate delineation of tumor, target volumes and organs at risk is crucial to the quality of treatment planning and delivered accomplished with innovative technologies in radiation therapy. Quality assurance in all components of the treatment planning, delivery and verification will ensure optimal patient care and better treatment outcome. The increased complexity of this technology requires more rigorous training of all professionals involved in the radiation therapy process and more detailed and accurate quality assurance procedures to ensure an optimal treatment of our patients. There is an increased cost in the application of innovative techniques, but in a long run this is compensated by a lower cost in the overall treatment of a patient, as additional management of initial treatment failures or complications is three-fold higher than the cost of successful and uncomplicated initial treatment.