Our
Radiation Oncology Clinical Program
The Department of Radiation Oncology at
the Massachusetts General Hospital has
an exceptionally comprehensive radiation
treatment program. The radiation oncologists
coordinate patient care with their subspecialty
counterparts in Surgical Oncology, Medical
and Pediatric Oncology, Pathology and Diagnostic
Radiology. Special equipment and facilities
including the Francis
H. Burr Proton Therapy Center, richly complement this sub specialization
of medical talents.
 Our
radiation oncologists work with clinical
physicists to bring the latest technological
developments from industry to our patients.
Treatment plans are created using the most
advanced computing and imaging techniques.
Clinicians, Radiation Oncologists, and Physicists
have access to a complete array of devices
to carefully administer radiation to “target
tissues” while
minimizing radiation exposure to uninvolved
tissue.
The goal of radiation therapy is to eradicate
or shrink the tumor cells without damaging
the surrounding tissue. Radiation therapy
may be used to cure a cancer, to help keep
it from spreading, or to help improve quality
of life by relieving pain or other symptoms.
Radiation therapy uses photons, electrons,
and protons. Higher energy x-ray beams
set at a specific distance from the
body are used to destroy malignant tissues
by causing a break down in the genetic
structure or DNA of the cells. These
cells are permanently damaged and cannot
repair themselves.
Radiation
Oncology Services
 In order to provide the best possible care to the patient, the patient's evaluation
and treatment is managed by members of individual multidisciplinary clinical
cancer programs that are organized by cancer diagnosis. |
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of the: |
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The participation of patients in these multidisciplinary
programs assures patient access to national,
multi-institutional clinical trials as well
as those developed and exclusively offered
at the Cancer Center.
Radiation
Oncology Facility & Types
of Technologies
Located in the lower level of the Cox building,
our main
radiation oncology facility houses:
- Five linear accelerators
- A “simulator”, and a CT
scanner dedicated to radiation treatment
planning
- A sixth linear accelerator is located
in the operating room and is used
in select cases to deliver a single
large dose to patients during surgery
to remove their tumor (intraoperative
radiation therapy).
Our linear accelerators vary in the energy
of their beams. We take advantage of
their differences by assigning patients
to the treatment unit that will provide
the optimal energy beam for their type
and location of tumor. Special radiation
technologies available within the scope
of the program include:
- Intensity modulated
radiation therapy (IMRT)
Delivers varying dosages of radiation
at the same time to different parts
of the treatment area
- Stereotactic radiation surgery
and fractionated stereotactic therapy
A procedure that can precisely aim
an intense dose of radiation into
a targeted abnormality
- Intraoperative radiation therapy
Delivers a large, precise dose of
radiation directly into the tumor
bed during surgery
- High dose rate brachytherapy
Internal radiation source is placed
inside your body. These implants,
which hold the source of the radiation,
can be thin wires, plastic tubes,
capsules or seeds.
- No-exit dose proton beam therapy
Directs radiation to the diseased
tissue only
- Image guided therapy
- Prostate ultrasound for daily
target localization
- Partial breast irradiation
The majority of radiation oncology patients
receive treatments once per day five
days per week. The radiation oncologist
determines the total number of treatments.
Licensed radiation therapists faithfully
administer the radiation “prescription”.
To watch two videos
about the Department of Radiation Oncology
and the types of procedures >>>
If you have questions regarding the Department
of Radiation Oncology please send an
email to informationradonc@partners.org
Radiation
Oncology Research
Research is an essential part of
the Department of Radiation Oncology's
mission. Clinical research, basic research
and physics research are conducted into
the causes and mechanisms of cancer, with
an emphasis on translating that work to
clinical application, so that we can offer
patients the benefits of these advances.
Research in Radiation Oncology
Biostatistics & Biomathematics
Cellular and Molecular Radiation Oncology Laboratory
Edwin
Steele Laboratory
Physics
Research
Medical
Education
For information on the residency
training program in the Department
of Radiation Oncology >>>
For information on the training program
in radiation
therapy technology >>>
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