Treatment and Symptom Management of Cancer

Your treatment plan is tailored specifically to you. Depending on your health, type of cancer and stage of cancer, treatment can include:

What is Radiation Therapy?

Radiation therapy involves the controlled use of ionizing radiation, delivered by a linear accelerator or seeds, to control or kill cancer cells. Treatment is highly focused on the tumor for fewer side effects and more precise treatment.

We use advanced imaging and radiation delivery technologies to protect healthy tissue and target therapy to the tumor.

  • Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) – radiation is delivered to the tumor site from various angles and at different intensities.
  • 3D conformal radiation therapy – radiation beams match the shape of the tumor, not just the height and width.
  • Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) targets tumors in areas in the body that move
  • Real-time prostate seed implants – radioactive seeds are implanted near tumors in the prostate.
  • Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) - high concentrations of radiation precisely target tumors in the brain.
  • Intensity-modulated radiation (IMRT) - photon and proton beams of radiation conform to the shape of the tumor.

Radiation Treatment at Guthrie

  • Board-certified specialists – Our radiation oncologists have special advanced training in the treatment of cancerous and non-cancerous tumors. Your team of doctors at Guthrie includes specially trained surgical, radiation and medical oncologists. Our cancer team works with doctors from other specialties as well to be sure you have the exact treatment plan that is right for you.
  • Multidisciplinary conference – doctors and providers from across specialties meet biweekly to discuss every patient and organize the best treatment for her or him across the system.
  • Radiation oncology team – your team includes a radiation oncologist, medical physicist, dosimetrist, licensed radiation therapist and oncology nurses. The oncologist determines the plan of care, your physicist and dosimetrist work together to decide the dose and strength of radiation, and the therapist delivers the treatment.
  • Advanced Technology: Our linear accelerators (LINAC), the machines that deliver radiation, are made by Varian.