Radiation Oncology

Our Expertise

Radiation Oncology Therapies or Treatments

Radiation is used a treatment for many types of cancers and is delivered in various ways, depending upon the disease, its location, and its stage. Many specialists are involved in the delivery of radiation treatments: radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and technicians. Below are some of the radiation therapies offered at UWMC's Cancer Center and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance:

Neutron therapy is offered through the unique Clinical Neutron Therapy System at the University of Washington Medical Center; it is one of only three facilities in the United States to offer this treatment. Neutron therapy is an especially powerful kind of radiation therapy shown to be effective against salivary gland tumors and some other forms of cancer, using beams of neutrons to attack cancer cells. Neutron beams are much more powerful than electrons or photons, depositing about 20 to 100 times as much energy into the target tissue as regular radiation therapy does. Another advantage is that neutron beams damage both strands of a cell’s DNA, making it harder for cells to repair neutron beam damage and harder for them to survive the treatment.

Conformal radiation therapy is a high precision method of delivering fractionated radiotherapy for tumors located in the sinuses, base of the skull, juxtaspinal cord region, and the prostate. It is a way of bringing in radiation beams from multiple directions to all parts of irregularly shaped tumors. Its utility requires a three-dimensional treatment planning computer, a variable multileaf collimator, and a means of obtaining accurate beam images. This technique increases tumor control and decreases complications. Treatment is given under the direction of board-certified radiation oncologists and medical physicists.

Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is a new technique designed to deliver as much radiation as possible to the tumor volume while sparing nearby normal tissues as much as possible. The same type of radiation (high energy X-rays) is used as in traditional forms of radiation therapy, but the difference is in how the radiation beams are shaped and modulated in intensity.

This advance in radiation therapy has been made possible by advances in computer algorithms and computer speed and by new technology incorporated into the linear accelerators that produce the X-rays. The University of Washington has had an active research program for a number of years in developing and improving the algorithms, in testing the new technologies, and in verifying the safety and accuracy of the beam delivery.

There is no simple answer to the question, "Is IMRT the best treatment for my cancer?" The answer depends to some extent on simple geometry, such as the distance between the tumor and nearby sensitive organs and on the shape of the tumor. It also depends on the type and stage of the tumor. In many cases, 3-D conformal radiation therapy (3D CRT) can be used as effectively as IMRT. Basic physics research and clinical trials are on-going at UWMC and at many other centers throughout the world in an effort to determine the most appropriate uses for IMRT.

What is clear is that the capability to plan and deliver IMRT gives your physician one more means by which to provide the best treatment possible for your particular cancer.

Interstitial brachytherapy refers to surgically implanting radioactive seeds or isotopes into the tumor. The isotopes may be placed permanently for low-activity sources, or for a specified period of time for high-activity sources permitting a higher dose of radiation to the tumor relative to the dose received by normal tissue. This is used to treat cancers of the brain, head and neck, breasts, uterus, cervix, prostate, and certain soft tissue sarcomas.

Interoperative radiotherapy is a method of delivering radiation during surgery by directly exposing cancers to electron beam radiation with normal structures being removed from the treatment field. It is used to treat gynecologic cancers, colorectal tumors, biliary tract tumors, retroperitoneal tumors, and certain recurrent head and neck tumors. This treatment is coordinated by board-certified radiation oncologists and surgeons, with consultation from other medical specialties as needed.

Organ preservation therapy refers to the use of radiation with or without chemotherapy to treat tumors and avoid radical surgery. It preserves organ appearance and function and is used to treat breast cancer, laryngeal cancer, rectal cancer, anal cancer, esophageal cancer, and certain other malignancies. It is delivered under the care of board-certified radiation oncologists, oncologic surgeons, and medical oncologists.

Pediatric radiation oncology is provided at UWMC in collaboration with Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center. Ionizing radiation for pediatric malignancies involves board-certified radiation oncologists with special training in the treatment of pediatric malignancies. Appropriate use of anesthesia to immobilize very young children is used following consultation with anesthesiology service. Approximately 95 percent of all children with cancer in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho are treated here.

Stereotactic radiosurgery is a high precision method of delivering focused beams of radiation using a modified linear accelerator. The precision of treatment delivery is approximately 0.2 mm. A team of board-certified neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, and medical physicists, with consultation from specialists in head and neck surgery, medical oncology, diagnostic radiology and pathology work together to provide this treatment. This is used for cancer in the brain when surgery is inappropriate. This technique is useful for tumors adjacent to the spinal cord and other critical areas and complements the stereotactic radiosurgery for brain tumors provided with Harborview's Gamma Knife