The Cedars-Sinai Outpatient Cancer Center (CSOCC) at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute is one of the few centers in Southern California to offer the new radiation therapy technology of respiratory gating. Respiratory gating is a powerful non-invasive technique, which allows for greatly improved accuracy in radiation therapy and the benefit of avoiding damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Respiratory gating is specifically used to treat cancers in the lung and upper abdomen. At CSCOC, all linear accelerators and CT Simulators are equipped with this technology.

Respiratory Gating

Respiratory gating is a technology that matches radiation treatment to a patient's respiratory pattern. When one breathes, the chest wall moves in and out, and any structures inside the chest as well as inside the upper abdomen also move. In the past, when radiation beams were aimed at a target inside those areas of the body, movement had to be accounted for. This resulted in a larger treatment area. With respiratory gating, radiation treatment is timed to an individual's breathing pattern, targeting the tumor only when it is in the best range. This approach decreases possible complications and side effects, while using higher doses and getting better outcomes.

The Benefits of Respiratory Gating

• Each non-invasive, non-surgical treatment takes less than 30 minutes. Compared to conventional radiation therapy, respiratory gating may allow your physician to administer greater doses of radiation over a shorter period of time.
• Some aggressive cancers such as tumors in the lung require higher radiation doses for better control. Higher radiation doses can be delivered ideally if the dose to normal tissues can be kept to safe levels. Respiratory gating protects healthy structures while directing higher doses of radiation to the tumor.
• This new technique also allows lesions in the liver to be treated that previously could not be radiated. Since the liver is very sensitive to radiation, the risk of liver damage was too high when x-ray beams were unable to be matched to the patient's breathing.
• In some cases, respiratory gating will decrease the total number of treatments.

Who is Respiratory Gating Right for?

Respiratory Gating is not beneficial for every patient. Patients need to be aware that using this system requires specific breathing instructions and that some patients will not be physically able to comply with those instructions. Patients need to be in fairly good health to time their breathing with the radiation machine. If a patient has emphysema or experiences shortness of breath, it might be difficult to breathe in the timed fashion necessary for this treatment. Discuss this technology with your doctor to determine if respiratory gating is an appropriate option.