Nakamura Naoki, Shikama Naoto, Oguchi Masahiko
Department of Radiation Oncology, St. Luke's International Hospital.
Nihon Rinsho. 2010 Jun;68(6):1035-9.
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is a new type of conformal radiotherapy which is based on the use of non-uniform radiation beam intensities, optimized by inverse planning. IMRT can achieve the optimal dose distributions and may improve the clinical outcomes dramatically. However, it is not easy to deliver IMRT properly because of its complexity. If IMRT is used inadequately, the outcome might be worse than conventional therapies. This is why the clinical and physical quality assurance (QA) should be done strictly to deliver IMRT. The clinical use of IMRT is permitted only for prostate cancers, head and neck cancers and brain tumors as health insurance treatments in Japan. IMRT is available in only about 50 institutions for now in Japan.
调强放射治疗（IMRT）是一种新型的适形放射治疗，它基于使用通过逆向计划优化的非均匀辐射束强度。IMRT可以实现最佳的剂量分布，并可能显著改善临床结果。然而，由于其复杂性，正确实施IMRT并不容易。如果IMRT使用不当，结果可能比传统疗法更差。这就是为什么在实施IMRT时应严格进行临床和物理质量保证（QA）的原因。在日本，作为医疗保险治疗项目，IMRT仅允许用于前列腺癌、头颈癌和脑肿瘤。目前在日本，只有大约50家机构可以开展IMRT。
