TBI
Total Body Irradiation (TBI) is a specialized radiation therapy technique used primarily as a preparatory or conditioning treatment for patients undergoing stem cell or bone marrow transplantation.
Purpose:
- TBI is used to prepare the patient's entire body for a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. It eliminates cancer cells, suppresses the immune system, and creates space in the bone marrow to receive the transplanted cells.
- TBI can also treat certain cancers, especially those with widespread or diffuse disease.
Key Features:
- Whole-body treatment: TBI aims to irradiate all regions of the body uniformly.
- Typically, TBI is administered using large radiation fields, with the patient lying on a treatment table that allows for even exposure.
Common Uses:
- Stem cell and bone marrow transplantation: TBI is often part of the conditioning regimen to prepare the recipient's body for the transplant. It helps eradicate the patient's remaining bone marrow and suppress the immune system to reduce the risk of transplant rejection.
- Treatment of certain cancers: In some cases, TBI may be used as a primary treatment, especially when cancer cells have spread widely throughout the body.
Treatment Planning:
- The planning of TBI treatment involves careful calculation of the radiation dose to ensure uniform delivery while minimizing side effects.
- Special shielding may be used to protect critical organs, such as the lungs and eyes.
