Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (or IMRT) is a type of radiation treatment whereby the radiation beam is carefully sculpted around your anatomy. Compared to conventional radiation therapy, IMRT provides more precise targeting of the tumor and greater sparing of surrounding normal organs. As a result, it allows for a safe increase in the radiation dose and, at the same time, a reduction in side effects.

Dr. Shahid Hameed and our physicists work together to create an IMRT plan for each patient. They develop an extensive list of treatment objectives, and then work with a very advanced computer system to design radiation beams used for treatment. Together these beams produce a high-precision radiation dose pattern in your body.

The treatment itself is carried out with the use of a “multi-leaf collimator,” which has many small motorized rods of tungsten that do not allow radiation to penetrate through. These tungsten rods are programmed to move in and out of the radiation beam to deliver strategically shaped beams of radiation that conform to the tumor.

IMRT is particularly well-suited for select patients with prostate cancer, head and neck cancer, and certain types of brain tumors. Dr. Hameed will guide you as to whether IMRT is the appropriate treatment for you.

Please visit our patient education library to learn more about IMRT.

For more information about Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, or to request an appointment with our radiation oncologist, Dr. Shahid Hameed, call Arkansas Cancer Institute at (870) 535-2800.