International Radiation Oncology Collaboration

Collaborating on the use of 3-D treatment planning for cancer radiotherapy are Rambam Medical Center (Haifa, Israel)and the radiology oncology department at Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC, USA). Rambam is one of four radiation oncology units in Israel and serves 2.5 million people. Rambam is also the teaching hospital for Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology.

By having a computer reconstruct computed tomography (CT) scans of a patient in three dimensions, 3-D treatment planning determines the exact shape and location of a tumor and the best way to give radiation to kill it. The best answer may include several different angles and shapes for the radiation beam, says Dr. Edward Halperin, chair of radiation oncology at Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center. The researchers are also determining the benefits and costs of each component of 3-D treatment planning.

"The power of this technique,” explains Dr. Halperin, "is that you can look at a patient from all sides. You can see the heart and lungs relative to a breast tumor, for example, and see how best to kill the tumor while sparing the healthy tissue or critical organs.”

Another research project under consideration is to test the utility of a combined CT and positron emission tomography (PET) scanner. Through the partnership, residents from Duke and Rambam can spend one-month rotations at the other institution.


Related Links:
Rambam Medical Center
Duke University Medical Center