Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is proven to be a highly effective treatment. It’s used in several ways. In patients with cancer, radiation therapy can be:

• The primary treatment for certain cancer, such as early-stage larynx cancer.
• Used together with hormones, surgery or chemotherapy in the treatment of some cancers, such as prostate cancer or advanced head and neck cancer.
• Used as added therapy after surgery or chemotherapy to treat breast cancer or lymphomas, for example.
• As a palliative therapy to relieve symptoms such as pain, obstructed blood flow or other problems caused by tumors.

Lahey’s radiation oncology staff is happy to answer all of your questions about radiation therapy.

How Radiation Therapy Works

Radiation therapy uses a machine called a linear accelerator or a radioactive source (like an implanted “seed”) to produce radiation beams. These beams are focused on the specific area of the body that needs treatment. The radiation delivered through the beams kills cancer cells.

At Lahey, our radiation oncologists have special expertise and experience in delivering the precise level of radiation to the exact part of the body where it is needed. Our risk-adapted philosophy aims to treat patients with the least amount of radiation required to deliver the best outcomes.

Your Lahey radiation oncologist will discuss your unique medical situation at the time of your consultation. They will help you weigh the benefits versus any risks. You’re a key member of the care team that helps make all decisions about your treatment plan.

An important step in your treatment is simulation. Simulation is done after the first consultation with your radiation oncologist. Computed tomography (CT) guided radiation simulation offers 3D treatment planning. The simulation uses CT imaging to precisely map the location of your tumor. At times, CT scans use enhanced fusion technology with input from PET or MRI imaging. This helps us “shape” radiation beams to provide highly targeted, optimal treatment to the tumor site. It also allows us to shield unaffected, healthy nearby tissue.

After we identify the specific part of your body to be treated, we may place tattoos on your skin. This step guides the most precise course of treatment. Although these tattoos are permanent, they are tiny pinprick marks that are usually barely noticeable. If you want, you can use a method like dermabrasion to remove these tattoos after treatment is complete.

Lahey’s Department of Radiation Oncology is known for the development and use of specialized, advanced radiation therapy procedures for treating a wide range of cancer types.

Our program includes multidisciplinary collaboration, a rigorous quality assurance process and team communication with every step. Our technology includes full radiosurgery (SRS) and radiotherapy (SBRT) capabilities in both Burlington and Peabody. This includes:

• Robotic targeting aided by dedicated stereoscopic X-ray imaging.
• High-resolution apertures.
• Sophisticated motion tracking.

Brachytherapy

Developing custom surface mold applicators allows for innovative head, neck and full scalp radiation treatment. It’s particularly effective for complicated or recurrent cancers located in areas difficult to treat in the past with radiotherapy. Our extensive brachytherapy program treats a variety of different types of tumors, such as cancers of the:

In these cases, we either use:

• Radioactive “seeds” implanted in the tumor.
• A high-dose rate technique that inserts radiation into the tumor for a set period of time and is then removed.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Stereotactic radiosurgery is available to treat intracranial (brain) and extracranial (body) tumors. Through stereotactic radiosurgery, highly focused radiation is directed at the tumor. Multiple rotational beams deliver precise radiation to kill cancer cells. It also minimizes the impact on nearby healthy tissue.

Stereotactic Body

Radiotherapy stereotactic body radiotherapy is a treatment option available for patients with:

• Medically inoperable lung cancer.
• Liver tumors.
• Primary, metastatic and recurrent tumors of the spine and brain.
• Primary and recurrent tumors in the abdomen and pelvis.
• Some benign tumors and conditions.

Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer

We offer several types of radiation therapy for breast cancer, including:

• Partial Breast Irradiation (PBI): This procedure is for women with early-stage breast cancer. After the tumor is removed with surgery, radiation is delivered directly via a thin tube called a catheter to the area where the cancer had been located. This destroys any remaining cancer cells. Instead of up to two months of radiation treatment, PBI requires just two treatments a day for five consecutive days.
• Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT): Lahey is the only provider in the region to offer intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) as part of partial breast irradiation for women having breast-conserving surgery. This procedure allows the patient to have a lumpectomy and a radiation treatment in the same operating room on the same day.
• External Radiation: Also called external beam radiation, this is the most common type of radiation therapy for women with breast cancer. In this procedure, radiation from a machine outside the body is focused on the area affected by cancer. External radiation is painless and is similar to getting an X-ray, although the radiation beam is stronger.

Radiation Oncology Clinical Trials

At Lahey, we conduct patient-centered, innovative cancer clinical trials to help discover the latest advances in treating cancer and other conditions with radiation therapy.

A team approach provides the foundation for delivering cancer services. Embracing a team approach that involves the patient every step of the way allows us to pave the way for superior outcomes. This ensures our patients are highly satisfied and, most important of all, it offers a higher survival rate. 

Care collaboration allows us to provide you with personalized, compassionate care.

We also offer support and survivorship programs to help you during and after treatment.