To improve the accuracy of radiation therapy, specialists often choose to implant medical markers in the organ that is planned to be treated.
Modern radiation therapy methods allow taking a picture before each radiation therapy session to make sure and, if necessary, adjust the patient's position on the irradiation table. The more precise it is possible to determine the position of the tumor before the irradiation session, the more accurately it is possible to implement radiation therapy and higher radiation dose can be delivered to the tumor tissues, as well as less damage to nearby organs. This in turn provides a higher tratment effect - a greater chance that the tumor will no longer develop and fewer early and late side effects.
The accuracy of radiotherapy can be significantly increased by introducing artificial implantable markers into the tumor - small pieces of gold, which can be seen during computed topometry, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and in images before each irradiation session. This allows the safety zone to be significantly reduced and the radiation dose to be increased depending on the treatment region. In addition, it allows the radiologist to determine the amount of irradiation more precise, as it allows more accurate matching of magnetic resonance imaging with computed tomography images.
Implantable markers are available in two types:
- Gold fiducial - markers are mostly suitable for implantation in prostate cancer, markers are recommended to be placed at least 10-14 days before computer topometry and magnetic resonance imaging;
- Gold anchor - markers are intended for implantation in various tumor localizations - kidneys, lungs, chest, prostate and others. When implanting this marker, it is not necessary to wait 10-14 days for computer topometry and magnetic resonance imaging, it can be performed on the same day without losing valuable time, especially for patients who have a long and long way to go before the procedures / examinations where treatment and diagnostics take place.
To find out the most suitable type of markers for you, contact our consultant! You will find contacts here!