What Is Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)?
IMRT is a precise type of radiation that can be used as part of a larger mesothelioma treatment plan to shrink tumors. During this therapy, doctors use computer-guided imaging to deliver a high dose of radiation therapy directly to malignant mesothelioma tumors without harming healthy cells. As a result, you get the benefits of radiation with a lower risk of side effects.
Key Facts on Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy for Mesothelioma
- It’s typically recommended for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, the most common type of this cancer.
- It’s a type of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), meaning it’s delivered from outside of the body.
- Common side effects include nausea, fatigue, and skin irritation.
- The 5-year survival rate is 28% in patients treated with IMRT, chemotherapy, and surgery, according to Thoracic Cancer.
IMRT is one of many possible treatments that could be used to help you or a loved one facing mesothelioma. An experienced cancer doctor can determine if IMRT will be beneficial in your case.
Use our Free Doctor Match to connect with specialists near you who can recommend IMRT and other mesothelioma treatment options.
How Does IMRT Radiation Therapy Work to Treat Mesothelioma?
IMRT for mesothelioma takes place over the course of several sessions, starting with an initial simulation to prepare for the radiation. The next sessions are the IMRT treatments, and then follow-up monitoring.
Learn more about each step in the process below.
1. Attend a Simulation Session & Get Imaging Scans
Before receiving intensity-modulated radiation therapy for mesothelioma, you’ll go in for a simulation session at a medical center. Here, a radiation oncologist will run through what you can expect.
During this initial appointment, you will also undergo imaging tests like X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs to capture the tumor’s size, shape, and position. These produce three-dimensional images that show exactly where the tumor is.
You may also receive small skin marks or temporary tattoos to ensure the radiation is correctly aligned.
2. Receive Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy for Mesothelioma
After your simulation session, you’ll be scheduled to get IMRT for mesothelioma. The radiation is given using a machine called a linear accelerator. You will lie on a table while the machine rotates around you, sending radiation beams from many angles.
IMRT sessions usually occur five days per week for several weeks. Each appointment lasts 15-30 minutes.
3. Get Follow-Up Monitoring and Testing
After receiving intensity-modulated radiation therapy for mesothelioma, doctors will closely monitor you to determine how well it is working. To do so, they’ll use additional imaging scans to check if the cancer has stopped growing or shrunk.
While mesothelioma IMRT sessions are painless, the treatment can cause side effects like skin irritation, vomiting, and hair loss. Doctors will help you manage any discomfort related to the side effects.
If IMRT doesn’t help shrink tumors, or your cancer comes back at some point, your doctors may recommend more radiation or other mesothelioma treatments to improve your survival.
When Is IMRT Radiation for Mesothelioma Used?
IMRT is typically used with other therapies like surgery and chemotherapy as part of multimodal treatment plans to destroy as much of the patient’s cancer as possible.
Doctors often use IMRT as an adjuvant treatment (after surgery) to kill microscopic cancer cells left behind after a resection (tumor removal). It could also be administered as a neoadjuvant treatment (before surgery), shrinking tumors so doctors can remove more of the cancer.
“After patients get a surgery called pleurectomy with decortication, we typically recommend IMRT, which maps the pleural surfaces and tries to spare the lung from any untoward harm.”
If you’re diagnosed with late-stage mesothelioma, doctors may recommend IMRT as a form of palliative care to relieve pain. Here, you’ll receive a lower dose of IMRT to shrink tumors, ease discomfort, and improve quality of life.
Every diagnosis is unique, so to get a better idea if intensity-modulated radiation therapy for mesothelioma could be used in your case, speak with your doctor. Even if you aren’t able to receive IMRT, other therapies may allow you to live longer.
Call (866) 608-8933 now to learn more about intensity-modulated radiotherapy for mesothelioma and other treatments. Our mesothelioma nurses can review your options and connect you with top doctors.
Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Side Effects
Even though intensity-modulated radiation therapy for mesothelioma is very precise, it still may damage healthy tissues in your body. This can lead to a wide range of side effects.
Side effects of intensity-modulated radiation therapy for mesothelioma are:
- Breathing issues
- Digestive problems
- Fatigue
- Hair loss
- Nausea and vomiting
- Skin irritation
- Swallowing difficulties
More severe side effects, known as adverse events, have also been reported. These stem from the toxicity of radiation and include kidney damage, pulmonary embolism, and radiation pneumonitis (lung inflammation).
With that said, many side effects of IMRT can be managed with help from your doctor. For instance, medications can ease nausea and vomiting. If your doctor is concerned about the severity of your side effects, they may recommend stopping IMRT treatments.
How Effective Is IMRT Treatment?
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy for mesothelioma is often a very effective treatment option. It has been used to improve the mesothelioma prognosis (overall health outlook) for many patients, particularly when combined with other treatments.
Here’s how intensity-modulated radiation therapy for mesothelioma helps patients:
- The 5-year survival rate was 28% in patients treated with IMRT, chemotherapy, and surgery, according to Thoracic Cancer.
- The average life expectancy for patients who received IMRT after surgery was between 19-28 months as noted by Practical Radiation Oncology.
- The same Practical Radiation Oncology study noted that the progression-free survival (PFS) was 12-16 months in patients who received surgery and IMRT. In other words, the cancer stopped spreading for a year or more on average.
Additionally, IMRT is often seen as superior to other types of mesothelioma radiation. For example, it allows for higher, more precise doses to be delivered when compared to three-dimensional radiation treatment.
Get a Free Mesothelioma Guide to learn more about radiation and other treatment options that could work to improve your overall survival time.
Get Help Accessing Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy for Mesothelioma
IMRT often plays an important role in many mesothelioma treatment plans, helping to shrink tumors while exposing patients’ normal tissues and organs to less radiation.
If you or someone you love is facing mesothelioma, work with Mesothelioma Hope to learn how IMRT and other treatments might allow you to live longer.
Our team can:
- Help review mesothelioma treatments like IMRT with you
- Determine compensation options so you can afford cancer care
- Put you in touch with local mesothelioma specialists
- Support you and your loved ones through your cancer journey
Use our Free Doctor Match now or call (866) 608-8933 to speak with our registered nurses about your mesothelioma treatment plan.
Mesothelioma IMRT FAQs
What are the pros and cons of IMRT?
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy for mesothelioma offers many benefits, with the most notable being that you may live longer.
The 5-year survival rate for patients treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy for mesothelioma, chemotherapy, and surgery is 28%. By contrast, the general 5-year survival rate is only 15%. It’s also more precise than other types of radiotherapy, meaning the risk of side effects is lower and you can safely get a higher dose to kill more of the cancer.
There are some disadvantages of IMRT, though. It’s mainly used to treat pleural mesothelioma, so if you have another type of this cancer it may not be the best option for you. IMRT can also cause side effects and, in rare cases, fatal complications.
Your mesothelioma doctor can give you a better idea as to whether IMRT will be a good treatment for your case.
What's the difference between VMAT and IMRT?
Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is a specific type of intensity-modulated radiation therapy for mesothelioma, according to ScienceDirect. It provides radiation while adjusting the dose and shape of the energy beams to match your cancer tumor.
Mesothelioma doctors at top cancer centers continue to study if VMAT is more effective than standard IMRT. In 2025, researchers noted that VMAT was safe to use in treating pleural mesothelioma patients who received surgery, with no major unexpected side effects.
Call (866) 608-8933 for help exploring different types of mesothelioma radiation and other treatments that might allow you to live longer.
How long does IMRT treatment last?
IMRT treatment sessions typically last 15-30 minutes. Most patients need to get IMRT mesothelioma treatments 5 days a week for several weeks. From there, your doctors will assess how your cancer responds to the radiation and recommend next steps.
Can IMRT cure mesothelioma?
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy for mesothelioma isn’t a cure for this cancer. However, some patients have gone on to become long-term mesothelioma survivors thanks to IMRT and other treatments.
For example, one mesothelioma patient lived for 2 and a half years and counting in remission thanks to IMRT and surgery, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
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