Saint John’s radiation oncologists work with your other physicians to decide whether you are a candidate for radiation therapy and how to best administer it. A radiation oncologist is an oncologist who has received highly specialized education and training in the use of radiation therapy. Only a radiation oncologist can determine whether radiation therapy is right for you. Saint John’s offers the following radiation therapies and technologies:
- IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy), a noninvasive, radiation-based therapy that allows physicians to pinpoint the dose of radiation delivered anywhere in the body with greater precision than ever before, with less damage to surrounding healthy tissues. As a result, IMRT patients typically experience fewer side effects and complications; this is particularly useful in treating areas such as the head and neck and the prostate.
- The Varian Clinac 21EX Platinum, a top-of-the-line linear accelerator that generates high-precision treatment in a very short period of time. This means patients are treated much more rapidly than they were previously, improving patient comfort and convenience.
- The MIM image display system, a revolutionary software program that fuses and displays medical images from multiple sources, such as PET (positron emission tomography) scans, CT (computer tomography) scans and MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging).
- Brachytherapy, a form of radiation therapy that treats patients by implanting the radiation source directly inside the tumor, to attack the cancer from within or in the at-risk area. This is most often used to treat cancers of the prostate, cervix, endometrium and head and neck area, although it can be used almost anywhere in the body.
- 3-D radiotherapy, a radiation treatment that targets tumors by delivering a precisely measured dose of radiation that conforms to the shape of the tumor volume. With this method, the radiation dose can be increased when necessary without increased toxicity to surrounding normal tissue.
What is Radiation Oncology?
Radiation therapy is one of the most effective ways to combat cancer. It works by focusing beams of ionizing radiation on the cancerous growth or implanting radioactive sources in the cancerous area. Advantages of radiation therapy include the following:
- Only a precisely targeted area is treated so that there is minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue
- External beam radiation therapy is a noninvasive, painless procedure so there are no knives, needles or anesthetics involved
- Radiation therapy can also be performed on an outpatient basis, without the need for a hospital stay
- The typical course of treatment is over a two- to eight-week period, Monday through Friday
- Radiosurgery is a viable option for certain conditions
- Trilogy allows Saint John’s patients to receive higher-dose radiation treatments precisely targeted to their particular tumor in shorter sessions
- Trilogy is particularly useful for treating prostate, head and neck and lung cancer, as well as brain tumors
- RapidArc™ radiotherapy technology represents an advanced new form of image-guided Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
- This technology enables the linear accelerator to deliver precise forms of IMRT up to eight times faster than other systems thus healthy tissue is spared and outcomes are improved
Radiation therapy can be used alone or in combination with other treatments, such as surgery and anti-cancer drugs. Radiation is most often used to cure cancer; however, for incurable stages it can be a highly effective way to reduce pain, pressure or bleeding, or to control the growth of a tumor in a localized area.
Advanced Radiation Therapy Technology
The Vasek Polak Radiation Oncology Department at Saint John’s Health Center offers patients the latest in radiation therapy technology. Saint John’s is the only facility in the area with the Trilogy system with RapidArc™ radiotherapy technology, a revolutionary breakthrough in cancer treatment that provides greater precision and increased speed.
- Trilogy allows Saint John’s patients to receive higher-dose radiation treatments precisely targeted to their particular tumor in shorter sessions
- Trilogy is particularly useful for treating prostate, head and neck and lung cancer, as well as brain tumors
- RapidArc™ radiotherapy technology represents an advanced new form of image-guided Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
- This technology enables the linear accelerator to deliver precise forms of IMRT up to eight times faster than other systems thus healthy tissue is spared and outcomes are improved
The Department of Radiation Oncology at Saint John’s also features the following treatment and treatment planning/delivery technologies:
- Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT): A precisely tailored form of external beam radiation is personalized for each patient
- Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT): Provides high-precision localization for radiation treatment
- PET-CT Treatment Planning: An integrated scanner that allows for more accurate localization and grading of cancerous regions
- Brachytherapy: Internal radiotherapy where radioactive seeds or sources are placed in or near the tumor •Prostate Seed Implants
- 3-D Conformal Radiotherapy: A type of external beam radiation
- Superficial radiation machine: Specifically for skin cancer
- SRS surgery: A single high-dose for brain, lung, spine and other sites
Research and Clinical Trials
Saint John’s Health Center Department of Radiation Oncology regularly initiates and participates in investigational studies and clinical trials. All research is approved by the hospital’s Investigational Review Board (IRB) and is sponsored through its affiliation with local organizations, such as the world-renowned John Wayne Cancer Institute (JWCI) in Santa Monica, Valley Radiotherapy Associates Medical Group and with national cooperative research groups, such as the Southwest Oncology Group. Saint John’s physicians will be happy to answer any questions regarding a particular study or clinical trial currently under way at Saint John’s.
The Radiation Oncology Team
Radiation oncology is one of the three main oncology specialties involved in cancer treatment at Saint John’s Health Center. Specialists in this area will work with a patient’s other physician(s) to decide whether he or she is a candidate for radiation therapy and how to best administer it to coordinate care. Only a radiation oncologist can determine whether radiation therapy is right for a patient. A radiation oncologist is an oncologist who has received highly specialized education and training in the use of radiation therapy.
The radiation oncology team includes:
- Radiation oncologist: Responsible for a patient’s overall care and developing a treatment plan
- Radiation oncology nurse: Coordinates patient’s care with the other team members and helps a patient manage side effects
- Radiation physicist and dosimetrist: Work with the radiation oncologist to formulate a treatment plan
- Radiation therapists: Administers prescribed dose of radiation under the direction of a radiation oncologist