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 Radiation oncology is the process of using radiation to kill cancer cells. This is also known as radiation therapy. The Anderson Cancer Institute offers some of the most advanced radiation therapy services available.
Our Radiation Oncologist
Types of Therapy We Offer
- Stereotactic radiosurgery -- sends a single, high dose of radiation directly into the tumor; often used for brain tumors
- Stereotactic radiotherapy -- similar to radiosurgery, except that the radiation is delivered in a series of smaller doses
- Advanced image guided radiotherapy/IGRT -- use of daily CT scanning to precisely pinpoint the tumor location and any slight changes in its location so that the most precise beam of radiation can be delivered
- Dynamic intensity modulated radiotherapy/IMRT -- uses computer technolgy to create a 3D image of the tumor and radiation fields; these fields can change as radiation is being delivered, to ensure the most precise treatment
- Respiratory gating -- use of technology to map small changes in tumor location that occur as a result of normal breathing; especially effective in lung or thoracic tumors
- High dose rate (HDR) therapy -- sending a high dose of radiation directly into the tumor; this may result in fewer treatments overall
- MammoSite high-dose radiation therapy -- a specific breast cancer treatment that uses a very high dose of radiation and cuts total treatment time down to just a few days
- Prostate cancer seed implants -- implanting a small radioactive seed directly in the body to kill the cancer cells; also called bracytherapy
- Quadramet, I-131, and other radio-pharmaceuticals -- small, radioactive substances that are taken by mouth or injected into the body to kill cancerous cells
- Traditional forms of radiotherapy
Our Technology
We are proud to offer Trilogy, the latest Varian linear accelerator. With Trilogy, we can position patients precisely using images of the tumor and surrounding anatomy taken just prior to each treatment. This allows the radiation beam to focus on the tumor and protect healthy tissue. The new Trilogy system can deliver radiation doses with sub-millimeter accuracy and deliver the highest dose rate available, up to 1000 rads/minute. This reduces treatment times and side effects.
We also offer the following diagnostic and treatment technology:
- Varian 21EX and 2100C linear accelerators
- Varian iX HDR afterloader
- CT-Simulator
- MRI machine
- PET Scanner
- BrainLab Stereotactic components and treatment planning system
Our board-certified radiation oncologist works with a multi-disciplinary team including:
- Medical physicists and dosimetrists to develop precise treatment plans
- Radiation therapists to accurately align and deliver treatments
- Nurses to provide education, support, and coordination of treatment
- Case managers, dietitians, therapists, and chaplains to meet your physical and emotional needs.
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