Overview
Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is a radiation treatment that's done during surgery.
IORT directs radiation to the target area while affecting the surrounding tissue as little as possible. IORT is used to treat cancers that are difficult to remove during surgery. And it's used when there's a concern that tiny amounts of unseen cancer might remain.
Intraoperative electron radiation therapy is the type of IORT most often used at Mayo Clinic. IORT is often combined with standard radiation therapy. Standard radiation therapy is usually done before surgery.
IORT delivers higher doses of radiation than does standard radiation therapy. It's not always possible to use such high doses during standard radiation therapy because of the possibility of radiation affecting nearby organs. IORT helps keep radiation away from nearby organs.