Radiation Oncology
The Department of Radiation Oncology at the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center offers the most cutting-edge technology in northwest Ohio. Our radiation therapy services rival those found in Ann Arbor, Columbus and Cleveland.
Our radiation oncology team makes quality and safety a priority while designing customized treatment plans for each patient. We use the most precise, non-invasive and comfortable options available.
The latest, state-of-the-art radiation therapies
The Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center was one of the first oncology programs in the country to offer the Varian Edge radiosurgery system.
The EdgeTM is outpatient surgery without a knife — the most precise, non-invasive option for patients with small tumors in the lung, liver, brain and spine, as well as cancers that have spread. Our experienced physicians have been doing this surgery longer than most others.
The Edge is part of our comprehensive stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS/SBRT) program, which allows us to treat patients with tumors in any location in the body. These treatments are non-invasive, do not require hospitalization and can often be completed in one to five treatments.
Stereotactic radiosurgery is precise and does minimal damage to the healthy surrounding tissues. Radiosurgery often has fewer side effects than other types of radiation therapy.
What is radiation therapy?
Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation (e.g., X-rays, radioactive substances) to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
Radiation can be used to cure cancer, either alone or in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy. It also can be used for palliative purposes, to relieve pain and symptoms.
The difference between stereotactic radiosurgery and conventional radiotherapy has to do with the intensity and duration of the radiation treatments.
Will I receive radiation treatment?
More than half of all cancer patients undergo radiation therapy. In making that decision, your medical team will consider a host of factors, including:
- The type, size and location of the cancer
- Your general health and medical history
- Whether you will have other types of treatment
How is radiation delivered?
There are various ways to deliver radiation therapy, depending on your specific cancer. Your team will include a radiation oncologist, who will help make that decision.
Our radiation oncologists specialize in delivering maximum radiation doses to tumors with less damage to healthy tissues and organs. They will decide the dosage, technique and type of radiation to be used for your treatment. Your radiation oncologist also will monitor you during treatment and adjust your treatment plan if necessary.
At the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center, we offer a variety of radiation therapies, including:
- External beam radiation therapy – a machine shoots radiation onto cancerous cells in the body. (Examples: intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy)
- Systemic radiation therapy – a patient swallows or is injected with a radioactive substance such as radioactive iodine. The substance travels through the blood to locate and destroy cancerous cells.
The Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center's cutting-edge technology
- 4D PET-CT simulator. This scanner allows us to perform PET and CT imaging at the same time. The images provide a highly detailed look at your tumor so we can plot an effective course of treatment.
- Varian TrueBeam TM linear accelerator. TruBeam provides breakthrough tools that allow our team to treat more challenging cancers, such as pancreas, spine, lung, liver, breast and prostate. Doctors can deliver higher doses with more accuracy.
UTMC's Department of Radiation Oncology has been accredited by the American Society for Radiation Oncology Accreditation Program for Excellence. ASTRO-APEx is far more rigorous than other accreditation programs. It recognizes our ability to provide high-quality, safe patient care.