Approximately one half of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy. Akron General offers radiation therapy to treat a wide variety of cancers, from head and neck to gastrointestinal, lung and breast. Radiation therapy can also be used in conjunction with other types of therapies for better results and to reduce discomfort caused by cancer.
Radiation oncology can include radiation therapy - which uses high doses of x-ray to shrink tumors, brachytherapy (radioactive seeds) - as used for treating prostate and now breast cancer, and other combination therapies.
New Radiation Therapy Technologies Target Tumors With Greater Precision
Akron General was the first hospital in the area to offer the MammoSite Radiation Therapy System (MammoSite RTS®), an innovative breast cancer treatment, that involves only partial breast irradiation. After removal of the tumor, treatment is delivered right to the cancer site through a radioactive "seed," a method called brachytherapy. This type of technique has been used to treat prostate cancer for many years, but is now offering good results for breast cancer patients and in some cases a reduced treatment time.
Akron General’s McDowell Cancer Center is now offering patients Conebeam Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) technology. Conebeam IGRT technology enables CT images of the tumor site and surrounding tissues to be acquired immediately before treatment. These images may then be compared to the treatment planning CT images, and the patient’s position matched, so that the actual treatment more precisely conforms to the treatment plan. If the tumor is no longer exactly where it was or has changed in shape or size, the treatment plan can be modified as needed. For tumors that are likely to move during treatment (lung tumors, for example, may move as the patient breathes), the IGRT sequential imaging capabilities allow appropriate margins to be set to compensate for this movement.
Radiation oncologists work with surgeons and other cancer specialists to create a plan of treatment that is right for the individual. A new technology, called Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) allows for the administration of extremely precise doses of radiation therapy. The cancer cells are destroyed and the harm to surrounding healthy tissue is minimized, if not avoided.
Radiation is often given with chemotherapy to enhance the effects of both and improve outcomes.
Patients who receive radiation therapy will receive treatment in the Radiation Oncology Department, located in the main hospital.
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For information about Akron General's McDowell Cancer Center, our services and programs, call 330-344-HOPE (4763).
