The Radiation Oncology Department at Baptist Hospital offers consultation, evaluation and treatment for a wide variety of cancers. Staff members include radiation oncologists, nurses, docimetrists, radiation therapists, physicists, social workers and dietitians to assure the best possible treatment experience.
Radiation therapy uses a powerful linear accelerator to kill cancer cells in the tumor and surrounding tissue. Radiation oncology services at Baptist Hospital include a complete range of treatment options:
- Conformal radiation therapy. By using a CT scanner for three-dimensional planning, doctors are able to target a cancer with very high doses of radiation therapy, while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.
- Intensity modulated radiation therapy. Computerized controlled X-ray beams are precisely shaped to match the tumor and attack it from various angles. This precision means more tumors are destroyed, there are fewer side effects, and the odds of beating cancer are improved.
- Brachytherapy. Using a narrow tube, physicians can place a cancer-killing radioactive material inside the body, as close to the cancer site as possible. Advances in high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy make it possible to deliver intense levels of radiation to the cancer site. In certain patients with breast cancer, the HDR brachytherapy can be delivered in a much shorter course of treatment than standard radiation therapy.
For more information, contact cancerinfo@baptisthealth.net.
For more information on the Radiation Oncology Department at Baptist Hospital, call our Cancer Resource Service at 786-596-2430; toll free at 800-599-2456; or E-mail at cancerinfo@baptisthealth.net.