Radiation Therapy Services
Our Radiation Department is nationally accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and provides radiation therapy for our adult and pediatric patients. We are proud to offer treatments that are available nowhere else in our region.
More than half of cancer patients will undergo radiation therapy, in some form, as a part of their treatment plan. At the UMC Cancer Center, we are committed to providing you with complete care through cutting-edge treatments, technology, and clinical research trials designed to increase the safety and effectiveness of radiation treatment.
We Care Well
All members of our radiation oncology team—from nurses and doctors to everyone in between—care well. We have two dedicated radiation therapy registered nurses who provide one-on-one patient education. They tell you everything you need to know, from what to expect during radiation treatments, to side effect management, and more. Our licensed radiation therapists are there with you every step of the way as you come in for your treatments. They will see you daily as they deliver safe and effective radiotherapy. Our certified team of physicists and dosimetrists will work behind the scenes with the radiation oncologists to create a treatment plan designed just for you. Dieticians, speech therapists, and counselors are readily available to our patients and visit with you whenever it is needed.
Part of our “Caring Well” philosophy is celebrating with you when your treatment is over! Finishing radiation treatments is a big deal, and we know it. So, on your last day of treatment we throw you a Radiation Graduation.
Coordination of Cancer Care
Our radiation oncology team coordinates all aspects of your care with multiple providers to bring you a wide range of care. Plus, our radiation oncologists also work closely with other departments in the hospitals to provide you with comprehensive care, including gastroenterologists, neurosurgery, and urology, to name a few.
Weekly Discussions
Our radiation oncologists participate in the UMC Cancer Center’s weekly multidisciplinary tumor boards. All members of the cancer care team, in all specialties, are present to discuss care and treatment options. Discussion is centered on each individual patient until a detailed treatment plan, catered specifically to their needs, is 100% agreed upon. Nurses, research staff, psychologists, and physical/occupational therapists also play an important role in planning patient treatment and recovery.
What is Radiation Therapy?
Radiation therapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses beams of intense energy to kill cancer cells. Special equipment is used to send high doses of radiation to the cancer cells or tumor. This prevents the cells from growing or making more cancer cells.
Radiation therapy damages cells by destroying the genetic material that controls how cells grow and divide. Radiation can also affect normal cells near the tumor, but normal cells can repair themselves while cancer cells cannot. Our goal is to destroy as few healthy cells as possible. We offer many technologies that help us eliminate the instances of radiation hitting healthy cells.
We offer both external beam radiation and internal radiation therapy. External beam radiation comes from a machine outside the body. Internal radiation therapy is given through a radiation source that is put inside you (an implant). This allows the doctor to give a large dose of radiation directly to the cancer cells. Whichever method is used, you are receiving top-notch care, personalized to you.