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In keeping with its commitment to the highest standard of cancer care, the Pacific Cancer Institute continues to provide the latest advances in technology at its multi-million dollar facilities.

Central to PCI's progressive approach is its use of the new Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) system, the most precise and sophisticated cancer treatment in the world. PCI is among the first cancer centers in the nation and one of the few in Hawaii equipped to offer IMRT. To Learn more about this and other treatments we invite you to view our interactive technology demo. You'll need the Flash 5 plugin to view the demo.

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No time for the demo? Learn more about this and other treatments listed below.

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy | IMRT
IMRT is a revolutionary type of external beam treatment that is able to conform radiation to the size, shape and location of a tumor.

IMRT relies on two advanced technologies
• Inverse treatment planning - Through sophisticated algorithms, this system determines the best treatment plan, maximizing dose to tumor while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.

• Multileaf collimator (MLC) - Following the inverse treatment plan, computer-controlled metal leaves adjust the shape of the radiation beam to the shape of the tumor, allowing the highest radiation dose to attack the cancer while shielding healthy tissue.

Benefits to Patients
Patients benefit from IMRT treatment through reduced complications which may be caused by radiation delivery and the increased probability of cure due to increased dose to the tumor. Patients appreciate the fact that this advanced therapy can be delivered in the same time required for a standard treatment. IMRT finally makes radiation therapy an option for treating types of cancer that may not have been otherwise treated, giving patients new hope for cure.

• IMRT is being used today to escalate the doses given to prostate cancer patients and the preliminary results indicate this increase in dose improves the probability of cure. A reduction in the complications associated with prostate therapy has also been reported.

• In other treatment sites such as breast and head-and-neck cancers, a reduction in the complications have also been reported.

• A great deal of the IMRT focus has been on cancers of the central nervous system, where positive results have been reported as well. Metastases are also shown to respond favorably to IMRT treatment.

IMRT is currently being used to treat cancer in the following sites:
• Prostate
• Breast
• Head & Neck
• Central Nervous System
• Lung
• Liver
• Recurrent tumors

Stereotactic Radiosurgery | SRS
Stereotactic Radiosurgery is another way to treat brain tumors.

• Doctors use non-surgical techniques to pinpoint the exact location of the tumor.

• The frameless system used at PCI is the only one of it's kind in Hawaii. Other systems require the placement of a head frame with 4 pins placed in the skull. The head frame must be worn until treatment is completed on the same day. Our system allows treatment to be performed even days later and does not require a frame placement.

• Treatment is given in one or more sessions; high-energy rays are aimed at the tumor from many angles.

Electron Beam Therapy
Electron Beam Therapy is used to treat superficial tissues.

• This includes skin and wherever it is preferable to deliver a higher radiation dose to outer tissues and less dose to deeper tissues.

• The same linear accelerator used for the treatments above can be modified to produce a beam of high energy electrons.

• Because the electrons penetrate to a much shallower depth than x-rays, radiation does not reach the organs that might be located below the treatment site.

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Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is believed to be one of the greatest advances in radiation oncology since the introduction of the medical linear accelerator by Varian in 1960.

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Learn more about the Pacific Cancer Institutes' innovative technologies in our interactive demo. You'll need the Flash 5 plugin.

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