Intraoperative Radiotherapy (IORT)

Intraoperative radiotherapy, or IORT, is a way of giving a single, focused dose of radiation directly to the area at highest risk during the operation itself, right after the tumour has been removed and while the patient is still asleep under anaesthesia. With the surgical wound open, the team can place the radiation applicator exactly on the tissue that needs it and gently move skin and nearby organs out of the path of the beam. The result is treatment that is aimed precisely where cancer cells are most likely to remain, while healthy tissue is shielded. For suitable patients, especially in early breast cancer, one intraoperative dose can replace or greatly shorten several weeks of radiotherapy after surgery.