Radiation Oncology

The UM Capital Region Health radiation oncology team offers advanced radiation therapy treatments for all types of cancer.

For each patient, we personalize and safely perform radiation treatment meant to target and kill cancer cells. Our thorough and caring approach also includes support services that help educate and comfort patients on their cancer journeys.

Our Radiation Oncology Team

The UM Capital Region Health radiation oncology team includes radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, physicists and nurses highly trained in the delivery of the latest and most effective treatments.  

What is Radiation Oncology?

Radiation oncology involves the use of high-energy beams and is one of the most common treatments for cancer. At high doses, radiation therapy kills cancer cells or slows their growth. As a local treatment, it targets only the part of the body that needs therapy while sparing the surrounding healthy tissues.

Radiation therapy can be used alone or with other treatments, such as surgery or chemotherapy.

Types of Radiation Treatment

The UM Capital Region Health radiation oncology team customizes each patient’s treatments to meet their specific needs.

• External beam radiation therapy is a procedure in which a machine is used to send high-energy rays from outside your body to the cancer site. Side effects are usually mild and temporary.
• Our linear accelerator delivers an advanced form of radiation therapy, called stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). It can precisely and quickly target tumors in the brain, spine or skull, while reducing side effects.
• Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is the same as SRS, except it is used to treat cancer outside of the head and spine. 
• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced type of treatment that focuses the radiation on the tumor while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue and reducing side effects. IMRT is used for some of the most common cancers, including cancers of the prostate and lung.
• Internal radiation therapy, or high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, safely and efficiently delivers radiation by placing small metal seeds inside the body, close to the cancer cells.
• We use an advanced imaging system to plan treatment. This allows us to set up patients for the most effective and safest treatment available.
• Our CT scanner features technology that adapts to each patient’s unique breathing pattern. It adapts to allow the most accurate and targeted radiation treatments while accounting for breathing patterns, decreasing the need for additional scans.

Treatments are mostly performed on an outpatient basis, and many patients can return to normal activities on the same day as treatment.

Who Gets Radiation Therapy?

Many people with cancer receive radiation therapy. Whether you receive this treatment depends on several factors, including:

• The type of cancer
• The location of the cancer in your body
• How close the potential treatment area is to normal tissues that are sensitive to radiation, such as the heart
• Your age
• Other existing medical conditions
• Whether you are receiving or will receive other cancer treatments

If you qualify, the UM Capital Region Health radiation oncology team will help you decide which treatments are right for you and carefully explain the risks and benefits.

Access to More Treatment Options

We work closely with our colleagues at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC) to give patients access to more radiation treatments.

These specialized treatments include:

• Hyperthermia, which increases the effectiveness of radiation therapy by gently heating cancer cells
• GammaPod for early-stage breast cancer
• Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) for liver cancer
• Prostate brachytherapy

Contact Us

To learn more about the radiation oncology services available at our location, schedule an appointment, or make a referral, call us at 240-677-8300.