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GPS For Prostate Cancer
June 02, 2007
It's like a GPS system for your body. A moving prostate during radiation treatment can
mean missing the tumor and hitting healthy tissue. But new technology pinpoints the position and motion of the prostate with
GPS precision.
It's like hitting a moving target, the way the prostate shifts makes radiation treatment a challenge.
But just like a GPS system tracks where you drive, the new "calypso" system tracks the prostate in real
time. That keeps radiation away from vital organs like the colon, rectum and bladder, and prevents side effects like bleeding
and incontinence.
First, three tiny electro-magnetic sensors are implanted in the prostate.
During
radiation treatment, the system tracks the sensors 60 times a second. If the prostate moves, the machine alerts technicians
to turn it off until it's back in place. So radiation beams focus on the target.
Right now the FDA has
only approved the calypso system for treating prostate cancer. In the future.
Source: newschannel5
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