Advances in technology have made it possible for some cancer patients to receive higher, more precisely targeted doses of radiation in far fewer sessions than in conventional radiation therapy. Known generally as stereotactic radiation, these treatments can produce similar results to traditional tumor surgery without cutting into a patient and while protecting nearby organs, says Michael Mix, MD, a radiation oncologist at Upstate. While not applicable for all tumors, stereotactic radiation provides an added, noninvasive weapon in the cancer-fighting arsenal, he explains, and often, greatly improved outcomes.