Radiation Oncology

Radiation oncologists have advanced training and experience in treating cancer patients with radiation. The Radiation Oncology Division works closely with all other oncology divisions to provide multidisciplinary comprehensive cancer care.

The Radiation Oncology Division offers state-of-the-art planning and treatment for cancer including 3-D modulation and brachytherapy. A radiation oncologist, physicist, and nurse are on site at all times during administration of radiation treatments. This level of care is not offered at all radiation oncology centers. Through ongoing clinical research, the Radiation Oncology Division also strives to develop new treatment techniques to kill cancer cells while minimizing the harmful side effects of radiation.

Radiation therapy is one of the three major ways cancer is treated. Radiation therapy contains two sub-classes: Internal Radiation Therapy and External Radiation Therapy. 

1. Internal radiation therapy uses catheters, wires, seeds or sealed needles that are inserted directly into or close to the cancerous tissue .
   
2. During external radiation therapy, a beam of radiation is directed through the skin into the tumor to destroy the cancer cells. This therapy is usually delivered daily over a period of weeks depending on the type of cancer.

Types of external radiation therapy include the following.

• External beam radiation including IMRT and IGRT - This therapy aims radiation directly to the cancerous tissue. EBRT delivers radiation from a source outside the body. A machine called a linear accelerator rotates around the tumor sending radiation beams at many directions to the tumor.
  
       1. Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is a specialized form of radiation treatment where the radiation dose is designed to conform to a three-dimensional (3-D) shape of the tumor. The radiation beam can be broken in “beamlets” so the intensity of each beamlet can be adjusted individually. IMRT focuses a high radiation dose to the tumor while minimizing radiation exposure to surrounding normal tissues.
  
       2. Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) This therapy uses ultrasound, electronic imaging or CT technology to pinpoint the tumor location daily before each treatment. This technology allows our team to make adjustments to the treatment region when there is movement such as breathing or digestion movement. High-resolution three-dimensional images help guide therapy to the tumor site.

• Radiosurgery with the CyberKnife Radiosurgery System - CyberKnife combines advanced robotics and missile-guidance technology to pinpoint the position of tumors and delivers highly focused beams of radiation without damaging surrounding tissue. CyberKnife also called “stereotactic radiosurgery” uses accurate targeted doses of radiation to treat tumors, lesions and a few other select medical disorders.

Types of internal radiation therapy

• Brachytherapy - Delivers a highly concentrated dose of radiation near or in the tumor, while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. Also called, radiation implant or a radioactive source. It may be used alone or in combination with other radiation therapy procedures. Brachytherapy treatment may be delivered in the form of small seeds (such as prostate seed implants) or wires that are placed inside the tumor (HDR). Brachytherapy may be delivered in a high dose or a low dose. The dose of radiation through brachytherapy depends on the size of the tumor, location and the sensitivity to radiation.

See more information on the UT Cancer Institute’s Prostate Services.

For more information about other radiation oncology procedures, contact the following:

• Radiation Medicine Specialists, P.C.
  UT Cancer Institute
  1924 Alcoa Highway
  Knoxville, TN 37920-6999
  865.305.9040 or toll-free 866.337.8824, ext. 9040
• Robert J. Bertoli, MD, radiation oncologist
• Daniel M. Green, MD, radiation oncologist