Patent ID: 7914434

Claim:
A method for treating cancerous lesions in the stomach or gastrointestinal tract of a patient, comprising: inserting an endoscope into the patient, to extend the distal end of the endoscope to the stomach or gastrointestinal tract within the patient's body adjacent to a cancerous lesion or tumor or to be treated by irradiation, while using the endoscope to visualize placement of the distal end, inserting into a lumen of the endoscope a catheter having at its distal end an electronic x-ray source which is controllable as to voltage and thus x-ray penetration depth, to a position at which the x-ray source is adjacent to the lesion to be irradiated, the x-ray source being connected to a controller, wherein the catheter and x-ray source are connected to a power supply and a processor, the processor having an input device and including the operator's entry of data relating to the desired irradiation of the patient's lesion, with the processor calculating a treatment plan including voltage settings and time duration of irradiation, such that when the electronic x-ray source is switched on the voltage and duration of irradiation are controlled by the power supply and the processor, and switching on the x-ray source and, using the controller to set the x-ray source voltage at a selected level in accordance with a prescription dose and a treatment plan, and carefully controlling position of the distal end of the endoscope and the x-ray source by visualization using the endoscope, treating the patient's lesion with radiation delivered directly from the x-ray source and specifically at the lesion until substantially a desired dose of radiation has been delivered to the lesion.