Oral Cancer External Beam Radiation Therapy
Learn More About Oral Cancer External Beam Radiation: Chat with Us | Email Us
External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) for Oral Cancer
At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), we use advanced radiation therapies that target oral cancer cells with less damage to healthy tissues than other treatments.
For small cancers, external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) may be the primary treatment. For larger cancers, we may combine EBRTwith surgery, chemotherapy or targeted therapy to develop the appropriate treatment plan for you.
For patients who undergo surgery, EBRT may be given afterwards, either alone or with chemotherapy. This additional, or adjuvant, treatment is given to kill any remaining cancer cells that might remain after surgery.
We also use EBRT to help relieve some of the symptoms of oral cancer, such as pain, bleeding, trouble swallowing, and problems that arise if cancer spreads to the bone.
Advantages of EBRT
External beam radiation therapy delivers high-energy rays to tumors, using a special X-ray machine called a linear accelerator. This machine allows radiation to be delivered from any angle and shapes radiation beams to conform to the contour of the tumor.
Your radiation oncologist will pinpoint the area(s) of treatment using a variety of diagnostic and imaging tools to locate cancerous cells in the body. Our state-of-the-art EBRT technology enables our oncologists to more accurately target an oral cancer tumor with higher doses of radiation, while minimizing damage to the healthy tissue in your mouth and throat.
In addition, our EBRT technology allows us to monitor the tumor’s position before each treatment, and track if the tumor has shifted or changed shape since your last treatment. Each EBRT treatment takes only a few minutes, plus some additional time for set-up. Treatments are generally given five days a week, over the course of six to eight weeks.
We offer several innovative types of oral cancer EBRT:
Based on diagnostic tests and your cancer profile, we will work with you to determine which oral cancer treatment or combination of treatments is appropriate for you.
Next Topic:Accelerated and Hyperfractionated Radiation Therapy for Oral Cancer
