Modalities

Radiation Treatments

Respiratory Gating

Martha Jefferson Hospital has pioneered the use of respiratory gating for cancer patients in Central Virginia. This technique has been available to our patients for several years, after it was implemented by our physicist, David Waid. Breathing produces movement of the lungs, breasts and abdominal organs. A 4D CT registers and sorts the target motion through the respiratory cycle. By computerized synchronization of the accelerator treatment delivery with the breathing cycle, the radiation delivery can be gated (turned on and off) during specific phases of the respiratory cycle. This is a particular advantage for patients with left-sided breast cancers as the heart typically moves away from the breast with inspiration. By gating the breast treatment to coincide with inspiration, the heart may be more optimally spared from the radiation. During the planning process, we educate the patient in the breathing technique, providing audible cues as well as self-regulating feedback with virtual goggles.