Programs and Services

Radiation Oncology

The Radiation Oncology Department provides specialized radiation treatment for the management of a wide variety of malignant diseases.

A Multidisciplinary Team Approach
A dedicated multidisciplinary team, the Radiation Oncology Department works in close coordination with other cancer care teams within the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The radiation oncologist works with other physicians to merge surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy into an individualized treatment plan. The treatment plan is determined by each patient's unique clinical situation. After optimal treatment is determined, the radiation oncologist discusses the preliminary plan of treatment, potential side effects and possible alternative procedures with the patient and family.

Much thought and care go into this process in order to achieve maximum effectiveness of the treatment. This results in care that is precise, accurate and that optimizes the treatment plan for each and every patient.

A Team that Delivers Quality, Personalized Care
The Department is headed by a radiation oncologist, a physician who specializes in radiation therapy for cancer patients and examines and reviews all x-rays and laboratory tests and decides if radiation therapy is appropriate. All radiation oncologists are board certified and actively participate in the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center's Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Program, the Head and Neck Cancer Program and other specialty programs.

Other members of this highly coordinated radiation oncology team include:

• Radiation therapists, who operate the radiation treatment machines, are all licensed and have graduated from accredited programs and receive ongoing in-house continuing medical education.
• Radiation oncology nurses, who are all Registered Nurses and have expertise in oncology nursing. In addition to providing expert nursing care and patient and family information, the nursing staff assures that patients gain access to a variety of needed support services, including dietitians, social services, and Visiting Nurses.
• Dosemitrists and physicists, who work closely with the physician to calibrate equipment and assist in precise dose calculations for treatment planning.

Advanced Treatment and Technology
The Radiation Oncology Department offers many innovative programs, such as total body irradiation, stereotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy and radioisotope implantation. Radiation Oncology uses the latest technology including:

• TomoTherapy Hi-Art Treatment System is the most exciting new development in radiation oncology in a generation! It will be offered at the UConn Health Center in the fall of 2007. Unlike other therapies, TomoTherapy acquires 3-D images of tumors before every treatment; delivers precise treatments in rotating beams of radiation that constantly modulate to the exact size and shape of the tumor; targets large, small and multiple lesions; and minimizes radiation to healthy tissue.
• Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) is for patients with inoperable primary liver cancer or other cancers that have spread to the liver. Radioactive yttrium-90 contained in minuscule spheres is injected into the main hepatic artery and delivered directly to the cancer tumor, limiting the amount of radiation that reaches healthy tissue.
• CT scan-directed, 3-dimensional treatment planning, which provides the radiation oncology team with a sophisticated "3-D" view of the treatment field. This provides more detail of both tumor and surrounding tissue, so the radiation dose is delivered more precisely.
• High-energy, advanced linear accelerator, which is fully computerized for patient safety, gives the radiation oncologist more ability to maximize treatment for even the most deep-seated tumors, while minimizing normal tissue damage.
• Stereotactic Radiotherapy and Radiotherapy, which uses intensity-modulated conformal techniques and is often used in the treatment of benign and malignant lesions of the brain, as well as other body sites. This allows the delivery of high doses of radiation therapy to the treatment site, with relative sparing of adjacent healthy tissue.
• Brachytherapy, places radiation sources in close proximity of the tumor. Radioactive isotopes are placed within the body for a period of time, so relatively high doses are delivered to the tumor, while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue. This form of radiation therapy is often used with cancers of the head and neck, the extremities and gynecological cancers.
• Total Body Irradiation, may be a part of the conditioning or preparation of the patient who is undergoing a bone marrow transplant. The goal of this treatment is to eliminate cancer cells throughout the body while working in conjunction with high dose chemotherapy.

For further information or to arrange for a consultation with the Radiation Oncology Department, please call 860-679-3225.