Advances in Radiation Therapy Mean Better Patient Care

The new Radiation Oncology outpatient facility at Saint John’s Health Center keeps patients on the leading edge of radiation treatment. The state-of-the-art facility offers the latest in cutting edge radiation therapy treatments delivered with the finest equipment available today, says Robert Wollman, M.D., medical director of Saint John’s Radiation Oncology services.

“Our patients receive the newest advances in radiation therapy, as well as a wide range of treatment options designed to ensure the highest level of quality health care,” says Dr. Wollman.

“We feature the most progressive radiation treatment equipment available, allowing us to treat patients more rapidly with higher, more precise doses of radiation. This technology not only improves the treatment of tumors, but helps reduce side effects.”

Among the treatments offered by Saint John Radiation Oncology are:

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
IMRT is a revolutionary, noninvasive therapy used to destroy cancerous growths with a minimum amount of damage to surrounding healthy tissue.As a result, IMRT patients typically experience fewer side effects and complications, says Dr. Wollman.

During this procedure, a device called a linear accelerator rotates around the patient’s body, delivering thousands of tiny, precise beams of radiation to the tumor. As the linear accelerator moves around the patient, these beams are rapidly opened or closed under computer control, resulting in decreased radiation dose to normal tissues and a relatively higher dose of radiation to the targeted tumor.

Saint John’s Radiation Oncology is equipped with a top-of-the-line linear
accelerator, the Varian Clinac 21EX Platinum, which generates high precision treatment in a very short period of time.

BAT Ultrasound Localizer
To ensure the precise delivery of the radiation beams to the tumor during IMRT, treatment must be centered directly on the tumor. The BAT (B-mode Acquisition and Targeting) ultrasound localizer solves this problem by using ultrasound combined with robotic computer technology to precisely track the tumor’s exact location.

BAT imaging uses a painless, ultrasound probe placed on the skin surface prior to each radiation treatment to precisely target the cancer, thereby protecting nearby organs.

Prostate Seed Implants
One of the fastest growing and most significant areas of radiation therapy is in the treatment of prostate cancer. When treating prostate cancer with implants, radioactive seeds are placed into the prostate using ultrasound guidance. Both Low Dose Rate (LDR) and High Dose Rate (HDR) systems are used at Saint John’s Health Center.

Studies have shown that the side effects and risk of complications from modern prostate implants are comparable to external beam radiation or radical prostatectomy (surgery), says Dr. Wollman. Patients also enjoy a shorter recovery period. For early-stage, low-risk prostate cancer patients, radioactive implants are one of the most convenient forms of potentially curative treatment.

For more information about Saint John’s Radiation Oncology, please contact the department at (310) 829-8913 or visit the Saint John’s website at http://www.stjohns.org