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Radiation oncology, which has proven to be one of the most successful treatment methods available in the fight against cancer, is optimized at Cape Cod Healthcare through recent advancements in medical technology. Radiation oncology services are available at the Davenport Mugar Cancer Center at Cape Cod Hospital and the Clark Cancer Center at Falmouth Hospital. Our department is accredited by the American College of Radiology.

The goals of radiation oncology are to destroy tumors, relieve disease symptoms, prolong survival and improve quality of life. Radiation treatments available at Cape Cod Healthcare include:

• External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) Radiation therapy delivered outside the patient’s body is called external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), an application that uses special equipment to focus powerful X-rays to kill cancer cells. EBRT  technology was designed to destroy tumors while  minimizing any injury to the surrounding normal  tissues. EBRT performed at Cape Cod Healthcare’s Regional Cancer Network includes:
  • Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) – an advanced technology that allows radiation to be delivered directly to tumors with remarkable precision through the use of real-time imaging.
  • Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) – Involves treating tumors from multiple directions around the body to deliver higher radiation  doses to the tumor with minimal side effects and damage to healthy tissue surrounding it.
  • Stereotactic Radiosurgery Radiation therapy procedure that uses a special system to precisely deliver a large radiation dose to a tumor in one session. This non-invasive procedure destroys the target without surgery or harming nearby healthy tissue. Primarily used for brain and lung tumors.
  • True Beam Radiosurgery The TrueBeam™ system is faster and more powerful, giving clinicians the ability to navigate the complexities of cancer care with confidence, including challenging cases in the brain, spine, lung, liver and prostate.
• Brachytherapy
  • High Dose Rate (HDR) Used for indicated early stage breast cancer patients. The surgeon places the applicator, and the treatments are supervised by a Radiation Oncologist. HDR reduces the number of treatments from 30 down to 10. Also used to treat gynecological cancers. 
  • Prostate Seed Implants In an outpatient procedure, radioactive seeds are inserted into the prostate close to the tumor site. This allows for  radiation therapy to deliver a higher dose to the tumor, while sparing normal cells. The radiation dissipates between 6 and 12 months, slowly killing the tumor, with few side effects.