Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) refers to a method of delivering a concentrated beam of radiation directly to tumors during a surgical procedure. In the case of prostate cancer patients, a surgeon will try to remove as much of the tumor as possible and for tumors that are too small or too close to vital tissues, he or she will apply intraoperative radiation. The dose of radiation depends on the tumor after surgery, the depth of the target volume, the location of healthy organs, and the degree of previous irradiation. External radiation may be administered in the weeks prior to the surgery to shrink the size of the cancer. The single dose of radiation delivered during surgery is considered to be equally effective as 10 to 20 daily conventional radiation treatments.
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