April 6, 2009 - The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has recently updated its patient brochure “Plain Talk for Radiation Therapy Patients: Stereotactic Radiation” to include information about stereotactic radiation.
Stereotactic radiation is a specialized type of external beam radiation therapy that uses focused radiation beams to target a well-defined tumor. With stereotactic treatments, radiation oncologists use detailed imaging, computerized 3D treatment planning and precise treatment set-up to deliver the radiation dose with extreme accuracy.
Many clinics around the country offer some type of stereotactic radiation. However, treatment centers often call the treatment by the name of the company that manufactured the equipment, making it difficult for patients to compare treatments. In response, members of ASTRO wrote this short, two-page brochure to help patients and their families better understand how the technology works as they consider their treatment options.
"Plain Talk for Radiation Therapy Patients: Stereotactic Radiation" is one of 16 brochures in English, Spanish, Japanese and Arabic.
For more information: www.astrog.org