Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT)
Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, or 3D-CRT, uses computers and special imaging techniques to show the size, shape and location of the tumor. Computer assisted tomography (CT scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scans) and/or positron emission tomography (PET scans) are used to create detailed, three-dimensional representations of the tumor and surrounding organs.
Your radiation oncologist can tailor the radiation beams to the size and shape of your tumor with multileaf collimators (MLC’s) or custom fabricated field shaping blocks. Because the radiation beams are very precisely directed, nearby normal tissue receives less radiation.