Total Body Irradiation (TBI)

     Total body irradiation (TBI) is used to treat the patient's entire body, so that the bone marrow is completely ablated.  A new harvest of bone marrow that no longer contains cancer cells is then transplanted into the patient.  TBI treatment is closely coordinated with the bone marrow transplant team and with Medical Oncology, who administers the appropriate chemotherapy and supportive medications. 

Emory's Total Body Program

     The Department of Radiation Oncology has been performing TBI for over 10 years.  During a TBI treatment, the patient is positioned on a platform at an extended distance from the linear accelerator to obtain a larger radiation treatment area.  The radiation beam is aimed first to the front of the patient’s body and then to the back.  Careful positioning of the patient’s arms and legs is required so that all of the body is exposed to the radiation.  Areas of high radiation transmission, such as the lungs, are carefully calculated and compensated with the proper thickness of lead shields.  Areas that are not fully irradiated by the initial X-ray beam are set up and irradiated after the initial treatment using separate low energy electron beams.  Thus, the entire body gets an even radiation dose.

     A team of well-trained staff--physicians, physicists, therapists, and nurses--is in the treatment room to position the patient and to measure treatment machine parameters before the treatment begins.  The first session of the treatment takes about one hour for the necessary measurements and setup.  Subsequent treatment sessions take approximately 20 minutes, including the positioning of the patient on the treatment platform and placement of the lead shields.