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The largest component of services provided by the Department of Radiation Oncology is in the form of external beam radiotherapy. The department utilizes two state of the art Linear Accelerators to direct the high-energy radiation beam at the tumor or “target”.
Both machines are equipped with dual energy photons, used to treat tumors deep within the body and several electron energies for the purpose of treating more superficial tumors. The radiation oncologist, radiation physicist and dosimetry team performs careful computer treatment planning measures based on several diagnostic studies prior to the start of a patient’s radiotherapy treatment course.
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Treatments may last from two to eight weeks in duration, usually provided once per day although occasionally more than one daily treatment is prescribed. Averages of 60 patients per day receive radiation therapy treatments in this manner, on either an inpatient or an outpatient basis.
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