Radiation Oncology

When it comes to powerful cancer fighting technology, few fields have advanced as rapidly as radiation oncology. Radiation therapy can treat a wide range of cancers and is often used in combination with other treatments. The technology captures images, helps oncologists plan treatment and precisely targets radiation to the tumor to preserve healthy tissue and produce more positive outcomes for patients.

• External beam radiation therapy is aimed only at a specific part of your body. New technology allows radiation oncologists to more precisely locate and target the cancerous cells.

  • Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) provides precise external beam radiotherapy treatments. Instead of a single radiation beam, IMRT breaks the radiation into thousands of thin beams to better target the cancer and minimize harm to surrounding tissue.

• Varian Linear Accelerators provide comprehensive image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), one of the most cutting edge innovations in fighting cancer. IGRT combines imaging and treatment capabilities on a single machine. Knowing exactly where the tumor is allows radiation oncologists to more precisely target the tumor. This includes:

  • Ultrasound localization for better positioning of our patients and targeting of tumors

  • Respiratory gating monitors your breathing and respiratory cycle to determine the exact moment to deliver the

    most effective radiation

  • Cone beam CT provides 3D images for more precise radiation therapy treatment plans

  • Fluoroscopy provides real-time images of your body in motion to enhance delivery of treatment

  • kv matching works with cone beam CT technology to capture images of motion during breathing-controlled

    conditions, assuring complete coverage of the cancer by the multiple radiation beams

• TomoTherapy® is a single piece of equipment that allows radiation oncologists to image the tumor and treat it with thousands of radiation beams directed in a 360˚ pattern. TomoTherapy uses IGRT technology, including CT scanning, to plan the delivery of IMRT. Learn more at www.tomotherapy.com.

• Stereotactic radiosurgery uses a large dose of radiation to destroy brain tumor tissue, but does not involve actual surgery. Stereotactic radiotherapy also delivers radiation to tissue, but uses multiple small fractions of radiation instead of one large dose.

• 3D conformal radiation therapy uses CT, MRI or PET technology to more precisely target the tumor, gauging its width, height and depth. 4D conformal radiation therapy includes respiratory gating.

• Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) delivers radiation to tumors while they are exposed during surgery. A single dose can have as much effect as 10 to 20 daily radiation treatments.

• Brachytherapy is delivered in the form of prostate seeds (permanent), radioactive implants and radioisotope therapy.