Personalizing Radiotherapy Through Real-Time Monitoring of Brain Tissue Oxygenation

Time Stamp: March 16, 2023 9:51 AM
Source Node: 2518017

Radiotherapy is a common form of cancer treatment that uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells. However, it can also damage healthy tissue, leading to side effects such as fatigue, nausea, and hair loss. To reduce these side effects, researchers have developed a new technique called real-time monitoring of brain tissue oxygenation. This technique uses a device to measure the oxygen levels in the brain tissue during radiotherapy, allowing doctors to adjust the radiation dose to better target the cancer cells while avoiding healthy tissue.

Real-time monitoring of brain tissue oxygenation is a promising new technology that could revolutionize the way radiotherapy is used to treat cancer. By measuring oxygen levels in the brain tissue, doctors can determine how much radiation is needed to effectively kill cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue. This could lead to more personalized treatments that are tailored to each patient’s individual needs.

The device used for real-time monitoring of brain tissue oxygenation is a small probe that is inserted into the brain during radiotherapy. The probe measures the oxygen levels in the brain tissue and sends the data to a computer, which then calculates the optimal radiation dose for each patient. This allows doctors to adjust the radiation dose as needed to ensure that it is targeting only the cancer cells while avoiding healthy tissue.

Real-time monitoring of brain tissue oxygenation has the potential to improve the effectiveness of radiotherapy and reduce side effects. By allowing doctors to adjust the radiation dose on an individual basis, this technique could lead to more personalized treatments that are tailored to each patient’s needs. Additionally, it could reduce the risk of long-term side effects by ensuring that healthy tissue is not damaged during treatment.

Overall, real-time monitoring of brain tissue oxygenation is a promising new technology that could revolutionize the way radiotherapy is used to treat cancer. By allowing doctors to adjust the radiation dose on an individual basis, this technique could lead to more personalized treatments that are tailored to each patient’s needs. Additionally, it could reduce the risk of long-term side effects by ensuring that healthy tissue is not damaged during treatment.