Radiation Oncology

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Overview

If you have any type of cancer, you'll likely need radiation at some point. Here's what you need to know about this common treatment, and how Luminis Health can help you.

What Is Radiation Oncology?

Radiation is one of the most common and effective ways to battle cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, more than half of all cancer patients receive some form of radiation as part of their treatment.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage cancer cells so they can't reproduce. Radiation can precisely target the area of the body that has cancer, usually without damaging other parts of the body. If the treatment injures normal cells, they typically recover.

Our cancer specialists often combine radiation therapy with other treatments, such as chemotherapy or surgery.

overview

Why Choose Luminis Health for Radiation Therapy?

Our radiation oncologists have advanced training in treating different types of cancer. They use the latest tools and techniques to slow or stop tumor growth.

Luminis Health is the best choice for radiation treatment because:

Our doctors are active in research. You'll have the opportunity to take part in national clinical trials for radiation therapy.
We're known for high standards. Our radiation oncology program is accredited by the American College of Radiology.
You'll have an entire team supporting you. Our radiation oncologists work with cancer care nurses, radiation therapists, physicists and technicians to help you get back to your active life.

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Why Radiation Therapy?

We often give people radiation after cancer surgery to destroy any cancer cells that might remain.

Some other reasons your doctor might suggest radiation are to:

Cure early-stage cancer.
Shrink early-stage tumors.
Stop cancer from coming back.
Treat symptoms of cancer.
Treat cancer that came back.

Types of radiation therapy we offer

Your doctor prescribes the best type of radiation therapy for you, depending on what kind of cancer you have and where it's located.

Types of radiation we use include:

Doctors place a radioactive source inside your body near the tumor. This is also called "internal radiation."

We takes 3D pictures of the cancer, which helps to aim the radiation more accurately.

Electrons can't go deep into the body, so we use this type of radiation for tumors on the skin or near the body's surface.

This therapy comes from a machine outside the body. It aims radiation at a particular part of your body, while minimizing harm to healthy tissue.

This uses imaging scans (CT, MRI or PET) to position or adjust the dose of radiation.

The intensity of radiation changes during this treatment.

This therapy precisely destroys tumors in the lung, liver and spine.

This is often used to treat tumors of the brain. It delivers a large, precise dose of radiation to a small area.

What to Expect From Radiation Therapy

The most common type of radiation therapy is external beam therapy. With radiation therapy:

A machine aims high-energy x-rays into the tumor from outside the body. The treatment doesn't hurt. It's sort of like getting a regular x-ray.
We'll most likely do your radiation treatments on an outpatient basis.
Your cancer treatment team decides how often you need radiation treatment and for how long. It might be every weekday for a certain number of weeks.
You aren't radioactive when you go home from external radiation treatment. You can go about your regular activities. If you receive internal radiation (brachytherapy), you may need to take some precautions in the hospital or at home, such as keeping visits with loved ones short.

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