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Radiation oncology is the subspecialty of oncology that involves cancer treatment with radiation. Radiation therapy may be used alone or in conjunction with other types of treatment such as surgery and/or chemotherapy. Community Health Network MD Anderson Cancer Center's board-certified radiation oncologists have access to evidence-based guidelines, treatment plans and concordance studies developed by MD Anderson Cancer Center experts.
To request a consultation with a radiation oncologist, you may use the online form below or call 317-621-2627 or 833-473-1483 (toll-free).
Community Health Network MD Anderson Cancer Center provides many different types of radiation oncology treatments. Here are some common options you may discuss with your care team to find the right treatment for you.
This is a type of radiation therapy delivered using an X-ray machine where radiation is delivered from the outside into the tumor. The radiation beams are shaped to match the three-dimensional shape of the tumor.
This is a form of external beam radiation therapy where the radiation beam is dynamically shaped as the radiation is being delivered to allow for the precise delivery of radiation doses to a tumor while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissues.
Unlike conventional radiation therapy, which usually delivers lower doses of daily radiation over several weeks, radiosurgery delivers a single, high dose of radiation or a few high doses over a short period of time. This is typically used to treat tumors in the brain or spine.
SBRT is a form of external beam radiation therapy that delivers a much higher dose of radiation per session - compared to conventional radiation therapy - to a focused area in the body. Treatment is delivered over two to five treatments.
This is a form of internal radiation where a high dose of radiation is delivered in a short amount of time directly to the tumor site from within the body. This involves temporarily placing a radioactive source close to or inside the tumor itself.
In this treatment, radioactive medication is injected into the blood stream to treat cancer throughout the body. The medication is often a combination of a radioactive isotope and a molecule that binds specifically to certain receptors on cancer cells. This allows for the direct delivery of radiation to cancer cells throughout the body.
SGRT is an advanced technique used during radiation therapy treatments to enhance the accuracy and precision of treatment delivery. SGRT uses imaging technology to monitor the patient's surface contours in real-time during radiation therapy, ensuring that the patient remains in the correct position throughout the treatment.
IGRT involves using high-quality imaging to help increase the precision of your radiation therapy. IGRT is a standard of care for radiation oncology.
The first step in your radiation oncology journey is a consultation meeting to determine your best path forward. During this initial visit, you can expect to meet with Patient Access (the front office) where you will provide some basic intake information. Remember to bring along a list of medications you are taking, a list of other physicians you are seeing and your insurance information.
You will then meet with a nurse practitioner and a radiation oncologist. The goal of this first visit is not only to help define your radiation oncology journey, but also for you to get to know your care team and for them to get to know you.
After the consultation, the next appointment is the mapping session where you are positioned per the physician’s request and a CT scan is completed. A lot of work is done behind the scenes over the next 7-10 business days, including the physician pin-pointing the exact location of the radiation and receiving authorization with insurance. After completion of this work, the radiation therapist will call to schedule the treatment dates and time with you.
Radiation oncology has advanced over the years so that some side effects that were once common, like severe burns, are now almost nonexistent. That being said, there are some side effects that you may experience specific to your treatment type and the site of care. During your first visit/consultation, the radiation oncologist will discuss in more detail the potential side effects related to your specific treatment.
After your final treatment, your care continues over the course of several years with follow ups and imaging scans.
Community Health Network MD Anderson Cancer Center has received full accreditation by the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Accreditation Program for Excellence (APEx).
