For Patients & Families
Radiation Oncology
Our expertise.
WMCC is Southwest Michigan’s most experienced cancer treatment center, providing thousands of patients with compassionate, lifesaving therapies for more than 30 years. As the region’s leader in cancer care, our radiation oncology program is the centerpiece. If your treatment plan includes radiation therapy, you can rest assured that it will be given safely and effectively by highly-trained, board-certified providers and team members.
What Is Radiation Therapy?
Meet Our Team
To learn more about a specialist – click on their image below.
What We Treat
Radiation therapy is used to treat many different cancers, including:
- Brain Tumors
- Spine Tumors
- Breast Cancer
- Head and Neck Cancers
Certain noncancerous conditions like meningiomas or keloids can also be treated with radiation therapy.
Your First Visit
What To Expect
The first step is to meet with a WMCC radiation oncologist and/or advanced practice provider to discuss your diagnosis and determine if radiation therapy is the right form of treatment for you. If the doctor decides to move forward, you will learn about the number of treatments you will need based on your disease type and stage. In some cases, your doctor may decide that radiation therapy is best suited for use at a later stage, so you may receive other cancer treatments first.
-
Consultation
-
Radiation Simulation
-
Treatment Plan
-
Treatment Delivery
The first step is to meet with a WMCC radiation oncologist to discuss your diagnosis and determine if radiation therapy is the right form of treatment for you. If the doctor decides to move forward, you will learn about the number of treatments you will need based on your disease type and stage. In some cases, your doctor may decide that radiation therapy is best suited for use at a later time, so you may receive other cancer treatments first.
Preparation for radiation therapy treatment involves a session called a simulation. It typically includes the following steps:
- You will lie on the same type of solid table for your simulation as you will for your treatments.
- Lying still in the proper position is very important for treatment success. Your healthcare team may use cushions and immobilization devices to position you at the best angle for treatment.
- You will then undergo treatment planning CT scans (X-rays).
- After the physician reviews and approves your scan, your treatment team may mark the area with very small permanent tattoos. These tattoos are usually the size of a freckle. In certain cases, permanent tattoos are not needed.
- You have completed your part of the preparation. The clinical team will now begin working with the physician during the next step in the preparation process.
Following the radiation simulation, a customized treatment plan will be created for you. This is done to target the tumor with the least amount of impact on surrounding tissue.
Radiation therapy treatment sessions are typically given daily for 1 to 7 weeks. The total number of treatments depends on the size and type of cancer. Each session usually takes about 10 to 30 minutes. Often, the individual is given each weekend off from therapy, which helps with the restoration of normal cells. At each session, you will lie on a treatment table and team members will position you with the same immobilization devices used at the time of the initial simulation. It is important to lie as still as possible.
Radiation therapy involves using a linear accelerator machine, which delivers radiation to a designated area under the direction of a physician. The machine may move around the table in order to deliver the radiation at the specifically planned angles. The machine will make a buzzing sound as it delivers radiation and you should not feel any pain. You will be able to talk with your team through the room’s intercom, if necessary. Your doctor will be in the clinic and available to participate in the treatment as needed.
Our Technology & Therapies
There are two main types of radiation therapy, external beam and internal (i.e., brachytherapy). The type of radiation therapy that you may have depends on many factors, including:
- The type of cancer
- The size of the tumor
- The tumor’s location in the body
- How close the tumor is to normal tissues that are sensitive to radiation
- Your general health and medical history
- Whether you will have other types of cancer treatment
-
Treatment Machines
-
Treatment Modalities
-
Machine Status
Varian Edge and TrueBeam®
WMCC uses advanced radiation treatment technology to treat a broad range of cancers. Recently, we introduced a new, state-of-the-art treatment machine called the Edge Radiosurgery System from Varian. The Edge offers patients a fast, effective option for treating tumors without incisions or the need for overnight hospital stays.
Both the Varian Edge and TrueBeam treatment machines are linear accelerators. Each radiation treatment machine can safely deliver a precise dose quickly while causing minimal damage to surrounding normal cells and tissue. A single dose of radiation is called a fraction. Most radiation treatments require several fractions. A typical radiation treatment plan has five fractions a week for 1 to 7 weeks.
- Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT)
Static treatment fields are designed to conform to the tumor while blocking nearby organs that could be sensitive to radiation. Treatment beams are designed specifically for each patient and a number of tools will be used for each case depending on tumor depth, size, shape, and proximity to adjacent organs. - Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) & Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapies (SBRT)
A high dose of radiation is concentrated to smaller tumors while giving low levels of radiation dose to surrounding healthy tissues. The full stereotactic treatment course will typically be delivered in five or fewer treatment sessions. - Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
Used to treat irregular tumor volumes where the radiation dose needs to be carved around adjacent healthy tissues. Treatment plans are developed by the planning team with the use of sophisticated computer software to deliver sufficient radiation doses to the tumor while sparing healthy organs. - Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
Uses advanced imaging technology to verify the tumor position, as well as adjacent healthy organs, before each treatment. The imaging is used to align and adjust each treatment to ensure precise delivery. - Surface Monitoring with AlignRT®
Three dimensional cameras are used to track the patient’s position and compare it to the ideal treatment position. The system can be used to halt the treatment session if the patient moves out of the ideal treatment position. - Brachytherapy
Done by placing a radioactive source inside the patient’s body either inside or immediately adjacent to the tumor. This technique allows the physician to treat with high doses of radiation to small areas in a shorter time frame.
Click this link to check the treatment machine status.
FAQs
Finding out you need radiation therapy can be a stressful experience. Knowing your options and becoming an informed patient can help you gain a sense of control over your treatment. We believe an important part of compassionate care is helping patients understand the treatments they are prescribed.
Many patients have questions about the side effects of radiation therapy. Side effects depend on the area being treated and typically appear by the second or third week of treatment.
Skin irritation is a common side effect of radiation therapy but only occurs within the area being treated.
Moisturizing can help minimize skin changes. Your physician will recommend which lotions, creams, or ointments to use. Patients should also protect treated areas from the sun and not wear tight fitting clothes on the treatment area to prevent worsening skin reactions. Maintaining adequate hydration can also be beneficial throughout treatment.
Any severe changes to breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, or pain should be promptly evaluated in the hospital emergency room. If you are unsure how to manage side effects, there are nurses available via phone to contact during business hours and an on-call physician available via phone after hours.
Available Clinical Trials
