Learn More About Our Types Of Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, is a treatment approach that uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy can be used as a primary modality in the treatment of cancer, or after other forms of therapy to prevent a cancer recurrence. Outpatient radiotherapy usually involves delivering a radiation dose divided into fractions that are given over the course of several days or weeks. We use innovative techniques to spare normal tissue from radiation in order to prevent or reduce and manage treatment-related side effects.
We offer state-of-the-art technology in the delivery of cancer treatment. Our team includes board-certified radiation oncologists, nurses, physicists, dosimetrists, and radiation therapists to ensure that the treatment is delivered in accordance with the highest standards of quality.
Our entire process, from the initial consultation to treatment delivery, and long-term follow-up program is subject to the rigorous quality standards of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Offering state-of-the-art technology in the delivery of cancer treatment
External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT)
A machine called a linear accelerator (LINAC) generates and focuses high-energy beams to deliver radiotherapy at the prescribed dose to the calculated treatment volume. Computer imaging, precise field positioning, and beam intensity modulating technologies guide how your radiotherapy is delivered, and may involve one or more of the following services:
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) & Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT)
IMRT uses hundreds of tiny devices (collimators) to shape the radiation beams in the delivery of a single radiation dose. The LINAC moves the collimators to sculpt the radiation beams to the shape of the tumor, treating it from various angles. As the collimators move, radiation intensity varies or modulates to allow different areas of the tumor or nearby tissues to receive different radiation doses.
VMAT is a form of IMRT where the radiation dose and the field shape is changed or modulated as the treatment machine moves around the patient, helping to spare normal tissue.
Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH), or Respiratory Gating
The challenge of delivering radiation therapy for left-sided breast cancer is that the heart sits immediately behind the chest wall. One approach to reduce the amount of radiation dose to the heart is to deliver treatment during a deep inspiration breath-hold. Patients are asked to hold their breath for a few seconds during treatment, which maximizes the separation between the breast and chest wall. Our facility is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to monitor and ensure that the treatment is delivered safely and accurately.
3-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT)
This treatment combines modern imaging such as 3-dimensional computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the planning software to enable precise treatment planning.