Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) means that radiation is delivered directly to a tumor while it is exposed during surgery. The goal of IORT is to improve local tumor control and survival rates for patients with various types of advanced and recurrent cancers.
- The focused beam of radiation can be effective in destroying remaining cancerous tissue while sparing the nearby normal tissues. A concentrated dose of radiation is delivered with pinpoint accuracy.
- A single dose of intraoperative radiation can provide the equivalent of two weeks of daily radiation therapy—reducing the number of outpatient radiation treatments required.
A mobile intraoperative radiation treatment system, called the Mobetron, is used at University Hospitals of Cleveland to deliver the radiation. This unit is the second mobile system in the world and allows for safe and effective delivery of radiation.