Today, cancer treatment includes the following procedures: surgery, radiation therapy, or a systemic therapy such as chemotherapy or hormonal therapy. Cancer specialists often use a combination of these treatments. Roughly 50 to 60 percent of cancer patients are treated with radiation therapy at some time during their disease.

Radiation therapy is the careful use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer growth, and/or alleviate cancer-related pain. Radiation is used to attack and destroy cancer cells. This includes arresting the cancer cell’s ability to reproduce or create more cancer cells. In the process of radiation treatment, healthy cells in the area of the cancer might be damaged by the radiation. The body’s healthy cells can repair this damage. However, healthy cells are not able to do the job that radiation does; namely, attack, destroy and arrest cancer cells.

Radiation methods utilized at our facility include: brachytherapy, external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT).

• Brachytherapy is a form of radiotherapy where a radioactive source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment
  • High dose rate (HDR) radiation therapy, a form of brachytherapy, involves the placement of a high-energy radiation source inside the body near the tumor for brief periods of time. Whereas low dose rate (LDR) radiation therapy, such as seed implantation, places radioactive materials inside the body for extended periods of time, the high energy of the source used in HDR radiation therapy means that doctors can deliver equivalent doses of radiation in just a few minutes by inserting and then removing the radioactive beads.
    • One form of HDR is accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI). During APBI, radiation is targeted to specific areas of the breast and delivered internally, through either implanted needles or a small sphere placed into the post-lumpectomy cavity. Patients experience many benefits including a five-day treatment schedule (compared to five to seven weeks with whole breast radiation) and the avoidance of external beam therapy side effects, such as the irradiation of healthy tissue and poor cosmetic outcome. At The Christ Hospital Cancer Center, we are committed to making APBI available to more women. With our recent addition of the Nucletron High Dose Radiation (HDR) system, we now offer three options for APBI: MammoSite®, Contura and SAVI, each with its own protocol and purpose. Our physicians use guidelines published from The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO), American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) and the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBS) to help determine which treatment option is most appropriate for each patient. To learn more, please call the Cancer Center at 513-585-2849.
• External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) uses a beam of radiation that is directed through the skin to the cancer and the immediate surrounding area. The purpose of EBRT is to destroy the main tumor and any nearby cancer cells.
• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced mode of high precision radiotherapy. It utilizes computer controlled x-ray accelerators and delivers precise radiation doses to a malignant tumor or to specific areas within the tumor.
• Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) is a complement to IMRT and is not prescribed for every patient. IGRT is set up according to the images from the CT scans, ultrasounds, or X-rays that a patient receives in the treatment room just before each daily radiation treatment.

• Radiation oncologists are doctors who oversee the care of each cancer patient undergoing radiation treatment. They develop and prescribe each cancer patient’s treatment plan and make sure that every treatment is accurately given.
• Medical physicists work directly with the radiation oncologist in the planning and delivery of treatment. It is the responsibility of the medical physicist to develop and direct quality control programs for treatment procedures and equipment. This includes the precise measurement of radiation beams used in treatment as well as the assessment and maintenance of other safety measures on a regular basis.
• Radiation therapists administer the daily radiation treatment as prescribed and directed by the radiation oncologist.
• Dosimetrists carefully calculate the dose of radiation and develop a treatment plan that will direct the radiation to the tumor while sparing normal healthy tissues.
• Radiation oncology nurses provide care for patients during the course of treatment. They play a key role in educating each patient about treatment. They help evaluate and manage treatment side effects. They also coordinate the radiation oncology care of each radiation patient.
• Clinical researchers, social workers and dieticians are also part of the Radiation Oncology Team. They are available to assist patients and their families with clinical trials, treatment options, nutritional advice, and psychosocial support.

Treatment planning begins once radiation therapy is chosen as an appropriate treatment option. The treatment plan depends on what method of radiation is chosen. Prior to the start of treatment, the patient’s radiation oncology team will explain in detail, the chosen radiation method, for example, brachytherapy, EBRT, IGRT, IMRT.

Simulation is the first step in treatment planning. This is a process of careful measurement and placement. It is needed to define exactly how and where the treatment will be delivered to the tumor area. Simulation involves placing the patient in the exact position required for treatment and then creating measurement materials. The measurement materials help to guide the patient into the same position for each daily treatment. Often skin markers, tattoo-like ink dots, are used to guide the aim of daily treatments.

Yes. Through daily quality assurance practices, all precautions are taken to ensure treatment accuracy and patient protection from unnecessary exposure to radiation.

Generally speaking, no. External beam radiation is produced electronically in the treatment room and doesn’t cause the patient to become radioactive. On the other hand, brachytherapy treatments will cause the patient to become radioactive for a period of time. Special precautions are given in this case, and should be followed.