Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)

About Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)

Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) pairs advanced imaging — such as cone-beam CT or X-ray verification — with each radiation session to confirm the tumor's exact position immediately before treatment, correcting for small day-to-day changes caused by breathing, organ filling, or patient positioning. This extra layer of precision is especially valuable for tumors that move or shift, such as lung, liver, prostate, and pancreatic cancers, allowing radiation oncologists to safely deliver higher, more effective doses while further reducing exposure to surrounding healthy organs. IGRT is typically combined with IMRT or other conformal radiation techniques rather than used as a standalone therapy, and Indian cancer centers offering it are equipped with on-board imaging systems built into the linear accelerator so verification happens in the same session as treatment, without extra visits. A radiation oncology team reviews the imaging at each session, or at set intervals, and adjusts the patient's position before the beam is delivered. As with other forms of external radiation, sessions are short, painless, and delivered on an outpatient basis over a course planned according to your specific cancer type and stage.