Radiation therapy is a medical procedure used at the Advanced Prostate Cancer Institute to treat prostate cancer. This type of carcinoma develops in the prostate gland of the male reproductive system. The therapy used at APCI involves the use of ionizing radiation to treat the disease through controlling or killing the malignant cells that cause it. Before the procedure, tattoo markers are drawn on the body to guide the technician in sending radiation to the precise location of effectiveness and safety for the patient.
The radiation therapy used at Advanced Prostate Cancer Institute involves a CT scan that locates the exact position of the prostate gland in the body. On the day of the initial CT scan, marks are put on the patient as a reference point to guide doctors during the procedure. This provides a good general location that can be used as a starting point each day for the alignment of the equipment. When the scan is completed, three tattoos are made on the patient. One of the tattoos is at the right hip, the other on the left and the third in front.
The tattoos are used for the initial setting on the table each day the patient comes in prior to performing a scan in order to fine tune the exact location of the prostate on that day. The prostate floats in the body due to the amount of fluid or stool in the rectum pushing it either up or down. In situations where the bladder fluid and rectum stool are full, the shape of the prostate which is normally like that of a walnut can be distorted into a banana- like shape.
Importance of the CT scan
The daily CT scan is important in identifying the current shape and size of the prostate. This helps the doctors to plan effective methods and tools they can use to treat the disease effectively. Apart from identifying and recognizing the shape of the prostate, the CT scan is done to fine tune the exact location of the prostate or prostate bed.
