Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses high doses of ionizing radiation, like X-rays, to kill cancer cells.

Types of Radiation Therapy:

• External Beam: radiation beams are generated outside the patient by a medical linear accelerator.
• 3D conformal radiation therapy – shapes the radiation beams to match the shape of the tumor.
• IMRT (Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy) – the intensity of the radiation is varied (modulated) at various angles by an advanced computer program to minimize the dose to nearby healthy tissue.
• SBRT (Stereotactic Body RT) – with BodyFIX immobilization, high doses of radiation are delivered in a shortened course of treatment. BodyFIX enables accurate, precise patient positioning and immobilization, facilitating successful imaging and treatment.
• SRS (Stereotactic Radiosurgery) – precise treatment of brain and spine tumors in a single treatment.
• Brachytherapy: radiation sources are implanted inside the body.
• Gynecological cancer treatments for cervical and endometrial (uterine) cancers – radioactive seeds are temporarily placed near the tumor.
• Prostate seed implant – radioactive seeds are permanently placed inside the prostate gland.

• IGRT (Image-guided radiation therapy) – uses 2- or 3-D images to pinpoint tumor sites during treatment.
• Respiratory Gating – allows clinicians to correlate tumor position in relation to the patient’s respiratory cycle.
• OSMS (Optical Surface Monitoring System) – tracks a patient’s position before and during therapy, to aid in setup and treatment accuracy. Using proprietary 3-D stereo camera units, OSMS tracks thousands of points on the skin surface and compares them to the ideal position with sub-millimetric accuracy.
• DIBH for left-sided breast cancer (Deep Inspiration Breath Hold) – reduces radiation to the heart.
• Prone breast immobilization and treatment – to optimally spare heart and lungs.
• Varian TrueBeam® Linear Accelerator with PerfectPitch™ 6 degrees of freedom (6DoF) couch is designed to deliver advanced therapy techniques with a high level of accuracy and reproducibility for leading-edge cancer care.

• In addition to advanced care radiation treatment and therapy options, patients also benefit from:

  • A collaborative environment highlighted by participation in numerous cancer-specific multidisciplinary tumor boards and clinics.
  • A qualified and compassionate team, including a board-certified radiation oncologist, nurses, radiation therapists, dosimetrist, physicist and social worker.
  • Rehabilitation and support services.
  • Comprehensive breast care including round table discussion with patient and multidisciplinary care team
  • Clinical trials.