Athens Cancer Center Common Cancers and Radiation Therapy - Board Certified Radiation Oncology Athens, Texas

HOME

CONTACT

LINKS

MAP

Athens Cancer Center, Radiation Oncology, conventional radiation therapy

Athens Cancer Center, Radiation Oncology, Tyler Texas

Athens Cancer Center, Radiation Oncology, Athens Texas, Common Cancers Section

Breast Cancer: Radiotherapy is routinely recommended after all lumpectomies to give women the best chance of long term cancer control. Even if a woman (or sometimes a man with male breast cancer) has undergone a mastectomy, radiotherapy may be used to further decrease the chances of cancer recurrence.

Lung Cancer: Lung cancer is usually best treated with surgery followed by chemotherapy, but most people with lung cancer are not eligible for surgery because the tumor is too advanced or their health is too poor. Radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy may give temporary or permanent control of the cancer and related symptoms. Radiation is usually preceded by a single, non-contrast, pre-treatment CT scan followed by computerized 3-D conformal treatment planning.

Prostate Cancer: Early stage prostate cancers are usually cured by surgery with or without post-operative radiotherapy. Radiotherapy alone is generally successful for more locally advanced cancers or in patients whose older age is a risk factor in consideration for radical surgery. IMRT, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, delivered over an eight or nine week course, requiring daily treatments of 15-20 minutes each, may produce few or no symptoms.

Cancers of the Head and Neck: Early cancers of the larynx (voice box) are usually controlled with about seven weeks of radiotherapy alone. More advanced laryngeal cancers or cancers of the nasopharynx, tongue, base of tongue, tonsillar area and sinuses may be best controlled with surgery alone or multimodality therapy involving surgery, radiotherapy (frequently IMRT to limit side effects) and chemotherapy.

Rectal Cancer: Radiotherapy either before or after surgery is indicated for all except the earliest stages of rectal cancer to produce the best chance of cancer control.

Brain Cancer: IMRT, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, is delivered after total or partial resection of many primary malignant brain cancers, such as anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma multiforme, to try to sterilize residual microscopic disease. Radiotherapy is also used in the commonly seen secondary brain cancers that started elsewhere, as in lung or breast cancer, before metastasizing to the brain.

Bone Tumors: Radiation treatments, perhaps just a single treatment in one day, can usually control pain and prevent fractures in metastatic cancers involving the skeletal system. If a hip fracture secondary to cancer involvement of the bone is surgically repaired, radiotherapy after the surgery can prevent recurrence of cancer in that area and provide a better chance of walking again after the surgery.

Skin Cancers: Radiation therapy for basal cell or squamous cell cancers of the skin, or precancerous Bowen's disease of the skin, is about 90% effective for surgically sensitive areas of the nose, lips, eyelids and ears. Radiotherapy is also effective in controlling skin cancers too extensive for simple surgical control. The Athens Cancer Center uses a specifically designed superficial x-ray machine to provide a superior dose distribution for skin cancers without requiring bolus material over the cancer to enhance the skin dose.

Pancreatic Cancer: Many people with pancreas cancer are referred for radiotherapy, often combined with chemotherapy, to attempt to prevent recurrence or control symptoms.

Uterus and Cervix Cancer: In locally advanced cancers, surgery followed by radiotherapy provides the best chance of local control. In cervical cancers too advanced for complete surgical resection, radiotherapy combined with radiosensitizing chemotherapy may control the cancer. When detected at an early stage, cancers of the uterus and uterine cervix may be treated with surgery only.

Top of Page