Cancer Radiation Therapy

• What is Cancer Radiation Therapy?
• Types of Radiation Therapy
• Other Conventional Treatment Options
• Alternative Treatment Options
• Our Approach to Cancer Treatment

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), fighting cancer is all we do. Our mission is to arm you with every choice, offer you every chance, and empower you to victory. We believe in your right to not only be informed about your treatment options, but to also be an active participant in choosing the right treatment plan for your cancer.

If you or a loved one is faced with a cancer diagnosis and you are exploring different treatment possibilities, please call 1-800-615-3055 to speak with one of our Oncology Information Specialists. They can provide you with more information about our integrative approach to cancer treatment and the treatment options available to you at CTCA. You can also Discuss Your Treatment Options Online.

What is Cancer Radiation Therapy?

Cancer radiation therapy is one of the primary conventional forms of treatment used by the experts at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) to treat cancer. Radiation therapy can be used alone, or as part of a treatment plan that may include surgery and/or chemotherapy almost anywhere within your body. Cancer radiation treatment has been used for years. And with advances in delivery methods, allowing for higher doses to be delivered to cancer cells while limiting the doses to normal tissue, radiation therapy continues to be refined and used as a part of many treatment plans. In addition, cancer radiation therapy may also be used when other forms of cancer treatment or surgery are not an option.

Forms of Radiation Therapy

Although based on the same principle of using high-energy rays to destroy or impede tumor growth, there are many different ways that radiation can be delivered to a tumor. The different methods of cancer radiation therapy offered at CTCA include:

• 3D Conformal Radiation - Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy uses computer simulation to produce an image of the tumor as well as surrounding organs. This image allows multiple radiation beams to be shaped exactly to the contour of the treatment area, sparing nearby normal tissue.
• Brachytherapy - Also known as sealed-source radiotherapy, brachytherapy delivers radiation inside the area requiring treatment. Because it is designed to precisely target cancer cells, brachytherapy results in less damage to normal cells surrounding the tumor, often causing less serious and fewer side effects than conventional radiotherapy.
• External Beam Radiation - Also referred to as EBRT, external beam radiation therapy is one of the most commonly used forms of radiation therapy at CTCA. EBRT directs a "beam" of radiation from outside your body, focused on the tissue or organ within your body that contains the cancer.
• High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy - With HDR brachytherapy, radiation is tightly focused inside the tumor, ensuring that the maximum dose of radiation is given to the area that most needs it, while limiting the amount of radiation that reaches the surrounding tissues. In some cases, this technique has been used as an alternative to surgery.
• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) - IMRT is a state-of-the-art radiation delivery system that can treat difficult-to-reach tumors with new levels of accuracy. Because of this increased accuracy, IMRT allows higher doses of radiation to be delivered while sparing more of the surrounding healthy tissue. This method is often used to treat hard-to-reach tumors such as those on the spine, head, and brain.
• MammoSite^® RTS - A simpler, less invasive method of delivering brachytherapy to the breast, MammoSite^® RTS uses a balloon catheter that is inserted into the area where the tumor was removed. The balloon is then expanded and the radiation is delivered through a tiny bead attached to a wire.
• TheraSphere^® - This form of radiation therapy is delivered through a catheter and uses tiny glass beads called microspheres, one-third the diameter of a human hair, to deliver radiation directly to tumors.
• TomoTherapy^® HI-ART - TomoTherapy Highly Integrated Adaptive Radiotherapy combines IMRT with the accuracy of CT scanning and advanced tools for the planning and delivery of radiation therapy in one machine. With TomoTherapy^® HI-ART, CTCA can create precise, powerful radiation beams to deliver to hard-to-reach tumors, confirm the shape and size of a tumor seconds before treatment, and reduce exposure to surrounding tissue.

A radiation oncologist at CTCA can work with you to assess your situation and determine the form of cancer radiation therapy that may be right for you.

To learn more about the radiation treatments we offer, visit our Radiation Therapy Page.

Other Conventional Treatment Options

Besides radiation therapy, CTCA also offers other conventional treatment options including chemotherapy and surgery. If you would like to learn more about the conventional treatment options we offer, visit our Conventional Treatments Page.

Alternative Treatment Options

In addition to leading-edge conventional cancer treatments, CTCA also offers a variety of complementary and alternative treatment options designed to help provide you with a more complete treatment plan and to focus on what is most important – your healing. Learn more about our alternative treatment options at our Complementary and Alternative Treatments Page.

Is CTCA's Innovative Approach Right For You?

From understanding the treatments offered, to knowing the philosophy on treating cancer, choosing a cancer facility is a big decision. At CTCA, you will find a cancer facility dedicated to not only fighting cancer, but also to helping our patients and their families throughout and after the whole process. Here you will find that all of our comprehensive cancer care is delivered under one roof, in a welcoming environment designed to help you relax and stay focused on your healing.

If you or a loved one is exploring your treatment options and would like to learn more about CTCA, cancer radiation therapy, or the other treatments we offer, please call 1-800-615-3055 to speak with an Oncology Information Specialist, or chat online about your treatment options.