
Radiation therapy is evolving with new technologies and techniques. Most of these new methods are focused on maximizing the dose to the tumor site and protecting the surrounding tissue. Image guided radiation therapy offers dose distribution accuracy along with real-time treatment effect. CT-guided radiation treatment is one such image-guided radiation therapy system. However, this requires repeated exposure to X-rays, and has a relatively poor contrast in soft tissue. An MRI-guided radiation therapy system overcomes the drawbacks of a CT-based radiation system, as it gives better contrast images in soft tissue, and does not require radiation. These MRI-guided radiation therapy systems are suitable for a number of targeted cancer treatment procedures. Some of the areas studied include the brain, head & neck, breasts, reproductive systems, rectum, liver, and lungs.