Spatially fractionated radiotherapy (GRID therapy)

GRID therapy is a type of radiation therapy administered, sometimes in conjunction with conventional/3D-conformal radiation therapy. It is used to treat almost all types of cancers for which conventional radiation therapy alone is not enough. We also use it to treat symptoms associated with cancer, which is called palliative treatment.

This type of therapy involves delivering a high dose of radiation to the tumor through a special block called a GRID. The GRID blocks half of the treatment field and delivers the radiation through pencil-shaped beams that spare much of the skin while allowing a higher dose of radiation to be delivered than would otherwise be possible.

UK is one of the only cancer centers to offer this radiation therapy technique. And with over 20 years of experience treating more than 500 patients with GRID therapy, our physicians are knowledgable and well equipped.

GRID therapy is typically administered in one session, which occurs about 48 to 72 hours prior to starting conventional radiation therapy. Each GRID therapy lasts about one hour.

The side effects from GRID therapy are very minimal. Rarely, some patients experience scarring at the radiation site as a late effect.