Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT)

MercyOne Richard Deming Cancer Center treated their first patient in 2022 with the Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT). It was used during a major surgery for rectal cancer. IORT allows for collaboration between surgery and radiation oncology to treat patients with radiation while in the operating room.

What is Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT)?

Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT) is an intensive radiation treatment administered during surgery.

IORT allows radiation oncology to be administered to a targeted area while sparing normal surrounding tissue. IORT is used to treat cancers that are difficult to remove during surgery and when microscopic amounts of cancer need to be treated.

IORT allows higher effective doses of radiation to be used compared with conventional radiation therapy. It's not always possible to use high doses during conventional radiation therapy, since sensitive organs could be nearby. IORT during surgery allows doctors to temporarily move nearby organs or shield them from radiation exposure.

Your radiation and surgical team will determine if you’re a candidate for IORT. If you are, the proper dose of radiation and the correct angles for the radiation beams will be determined.

How is intraoperative radiation therapy used during your treatment?

In treating cancer, IORT is used in patients who have had surgery (removal of a tumor from the body). The IORT device uses a spherical applicator to deliver low-energy, high-dose radiation directly to the tumor bed (the cavity left after the tumor has been removed) while you’re in the operating room.