Radiation oncology teams consist of radiation oncologists and their staff, working together, and your medical oncologist or referring physician. The purpose of radiation therapy is to damage or destroy cancerous cells by preventing them from growing or dividing, while minimizing adverse effects on nearby healthy organs and tissues.
At Texas Oncology, patients receive today's most precise radiation applications due to our advanced treatment planning systems and state-of-the-art radiation technology. Patient treatment plans may include one or more of the following technologies:
Virtual CT Simulator enhances radiation treatment planning by generating three-dimensional images for achieving utmost accuracy in targeting and mapping specific treatment areas. With Virtual CT Simulation, oncologists can deliver high doses of radiation to a tumor, while minimizing the amount of radiation to normal, surrounding tissues.
Treatment planning is enhanced with the use of a three-dimensional treatment planning computer. Using the information and images provided by the Virtual CT Simulator, the computer generates a treatment plan tailored to the patient’s cancer care needs. Guided by three-dimensional models, the physician, physicist and dosimetrist can accurately determine the optimal dose of radiation to be delivered during treatment.
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) uses computer generated images and treatment planning to deliver high doses of radiation to a tumor, while minimizing the amount of radiation to normal, surrounding tissues. The higher dose to the tumor can result in a higher possibility of a cure, and the lower dose to surrounding tissue results in fewer side effects.
High Dose Rate Brachytherapy (HDR) uses a radioactive source that is placed inside the body part to be treated. Then, a high dose of radiation is projected upon a limited area of the body, sparing the surrounding normal tissue. HDR brachytherapy lasts only a few minutes in an outpatient setting. The procedure causes little discomfort and fewer complications while resulting in a more rapid recovery time.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) is ideal for treating brain tumors and lesions that cannot be treated by traditional surgical methods. SRS uses a computer-guided radiation therapy system to aim highly-focused beams of radiation directly into brain tumors and other brain abnormalities; very little radiation reaches normal brain cells or tissue during the procedure. The procedure is typically performed in a one-day session on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. Patients usually return home shortly after the procedure.
Respiratory Gating greatly enhances radiation treatment planning. This advanced technology analyzes and characterizes the respiration-induced motion of anatomy. With Respiratory Gating, oncologists gain clinically relevant information about the precise location of tumors throughout patients’ normal range of breathing motions, resulting in more accurate treatments.
Imaging Fusion technology enhances radiation treatment planning by enabling oncologists to more precisely and confidently locate and define tumors. With Imaging Fusion, oncologists can scale, rotate and translate target body parts or tissues into 3D images for a more accurate perspective of their size and shape.