IMRT:  The Latest and Greatest in Radiation Therapy For years, cancer doctors have faced a frustrating challenge. They knew delivering a high dose of radiation to a tumor will often kill it.   They also knew that high doses can endanger surrounding tissue and organs.  As a result, the tumors got less radiation treatment than ideal. And in some cases the tumors would get no radiation therapy at all.  Until now.

A new technology at EIRMC is giving doctors more options -- and patients more hope.  Known as IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) is widely believed to be one of the greatest advances in cancer treatment in decades.  It is now available in Idaho, only at our Cancer Center.

IMRT enables us to modulate, or shape, radiation beams giving higher doses to the tumor and lower doses where organs and other healthy tissue are nearby.

"IMRT finally allows doctors to deliver substantially more cancer-killing energy to tumors, while decreasing potentially harmful doses to surrounding health tissue," says Calvin McAllister, M.D., Radiation Oncologist.

Based on images of the patient's body and other information, the computer determines all the essential details to "paint" the tumor with radiation.  One doctor describes it as "like going to the tailor and having a suit made just for you."

It is very unusual for a small-population area like ours to offer such a service.  Most hospitals offering IMRT are listed among Who's Who in Healthcare in the U.S., so we're proud to be in that sort of company.