Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy, also called radiation oncology or radiotherapy, is an advanced form of cancer treatment that uses beams of high-dose radiation to kill cancer cells in your body. It can also help shrink tumors. During therapy, the beams are aimed at precise locations in your body, in order to target the cancerous area while sparing your surrounding body tissue.

When you first meet with us, we will take the time to carefully review your case, talk to you about what you can expect from your treatment and map out an individualized treatment plan.

We offer various types of radiation therapy, and the type that is best for you will depend on your health condition, what kind of cancer you have and where it is located in your body.

You and your physician will typically choose between brachytherapy or external beam radiation therapy. Your doctor may also suggest using a combination of both therapies to treat your specific type of cancer.

Brachytherapy involves the internal application of a radiation source. One of the most commonly prescribed forms of brachytherapy is high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy.

HDR brachytherapy is a type of internal radiation therapy that delivers radiation from implants placed close to or inside of your tumor. For treatment of gynecologic cancer or breast cancer, a radioactive seed is sent into the body through a catheter for a short period of time, usually just a few minutes.

During external beam radiation, high-energy X-rays are delivered to you externally. We offer many types of external beam radiation services, including:

• Conformal radiation therapy (CRT): This cancer treatment shapes the radiation beams to match your tumor and can drastically reduce the amount of healthy tissue that is damaged during the process.
• Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT): This therapy is used to treat tumors in areas of the body that move, such as the lungs. Our oncologists will capture an image of your tumor before and during treatment. Then they will compare these images, so that your position or the radiation beams can be adjusted to more precisely target the tumor.
• Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT): IMRT technology uses linear accelerators to treat a tumor while minimizing the radiation to surrounding healthy tissue.
• Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT): SBRT uses a coordinated system to precisely pinpoint tumors in the body. This therapy uses high doses of radiation over a shorter period of time with optimal accuracy.
• Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS): This therapy uses an X-ray beam to shrink or control the growth of a tumor. It does this by either killing the cells directly or disrupting the cells' ability to grow.

Fighting cancer takes a team

HCA Healthcare Sarah Cannon Cancer Network delivers you exceptional cancer care through cutting-edge, specialized treatments, multidisciplinary collaboration and care that is tailored to you. Our teams of passionate caregivers and global oncology experts across the United States and United Kingdom offer services and expertise that extend across many types of cancer. Together with the full support of HCA Healthcare – a leading provider of cancer care and research – we’re with you and your family from diagnosis through survivorship.

askSARAH helpline

Have cancer questions? We can help. askSARAH is a dedicated helpline for your cancer-related questions. Our specially trained nurses are available 24/7, and all calls are confidential. Contact askSARAH at (804) 591-4152.