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Dynamic Imaging Improves Patient Outcomes in Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer Treatment

Friday, November 27, 2009

Pinpointing the exact location of a lung cancer tumor and the extent of pleural effusion in mesothelioma is difficult with the traditional imaging techniques such as CT and MRI. Lung cancer tumors move with breathing, circulation and heartbeats making it difficult to focus radiation treatments and to evaluate the extent of disease.

Recent advances in imaging technologies, however, have improved how patients receive their radiation treatments. Dynamic imaging allows the medical staff to monitor the tumor movement throughout the respiratory cycle improving the quality of radiation therapy resulting in better patient outcomes.

Additional improvements include fusion technology where images from different imaging techniques can be combined, and online imaging offering images in the same room where radiation is given to more accurately guide the radiation therapy.

These improvements have led to non-invasive techniques which allow for the characterization of the aggressiveness of the tumors helping the medical
specialists better identify the therapy regimens or experimental clinical trials appropriate for malignant pleural mesothelioma patients.


Sources:
Chest Journal Study
National Lung Cancer Partnership

Labels: mesothelioma, Treatment News

posted by Nancy Meredith at 2:00 PM
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