Radiation Oncology

What is radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy uses intense energy, such as high-powered X-rays, to destroy cancer cells. It's a common treatment for many types of cancer and some benign tumors.

Your treatment plan may include radiation therapy:

• As your only treatment

• Before surgery (neoadjuvant therapy) to shrink tumors so they're easier to remove

• After surgery (adjuvant therapy) to reduce the risk of cancer returning

• In combination with medications, such as chemotherapy or immunotherapy

• As a palliative treatment to ease symptoms of advanced cancer

Our approach to radiation therapy

Our radiation oncologists collaborate with medical oncologists, surgeons and many other specialists to determine the right sequence and timing of treatments. They also rely on the expertise of other professionals, such as radiation physicists and dosimetrists, to plan treatment and ensure the safety and accuracy of our equipment.

At UCSF Health, you have access to providers who help prevent and manage radiation therapy side effects, including registered dietitians, physical therapists, speech therapists, dentists and fertility preservation experts. We also offer symptom management support and integrative health services to help you feel better.

Cancers we treat with radiation therapy

Some of the most common types of cancer we treat with radiation therapy include:

• Blood cancers

• Brain and spine tumors

• Breast cancer

• Gastrointestinal cancers (stomach, colon, liver, rectal, pancreatic, anal and esophageal)

• Genitourinary cancers (prostate, bladder, testicular and urethral)

• Gynecologic cancers (cervical, uterine, ovarian and vaginal)

• Head and neck cancers

• Lung cancer

• Ocular (eye) cancers

• Sarcomas (bone and soft tissue cancers)

• Skin cancers

Advanced treatment planning

We use the latest CT imaging technology and computer software to simulate (practice) treatment before you receive radiation therapy. Simulation helps us position your body and mark tumor locations. It makes treatment as precise as possible and provides a blueprint for us to create consistency across multiple treatment sessions.

Safer, more effective radiation therapy

At UCSF Health, we have in-depth expertise in many types of radiation therapy. Our equipment targets tumors with exceptional accuracy. We also use advanced techniques that minimize damage to healthy tissue and vital organs, so you can feel better faster.

External radiation treatments we offer include:

• Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). We deliver a single, high dose of radiation (usually to the brain) with excellent accuracy, but without surgery or incisions.

• Superficial radiation therapy (SRT). This therapy treats skin cancer near the surface of the skin as an alternative to surgery, especially in delicate areas, such as the face.

• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). We can adjust the angle, shape and strength of radiation beams in real time to better target tumors.

• Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). This procedure uses multiple beams of energy that conform to the 3D shape of a tumor.

• Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). We scan tumors during treatment for better precision, particularly in areas that move, such as your lungs.

• Breath monitoring. This special technology synchronizes radiation delivery with your breathing to maintain accuracy when your body moves.

• Total body irradiation (TBI). This procedure delivers radiation to your entire body. We may use this treatment for people who need a stem cell transplant.

Types of internal radiation therapy we offer include:

• Brachytherapy. We place radioactive material inside your body near the tumor to kill cancer cells. We also use high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, where we deliver radioactive seeds to tumors through thin tubes (catheters).

• Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT). This cancer treatment delivers a single dose of radiation during surgery, after a tumor has been removed, to reduce the risk of cancer returning.

Our radiation oncologists also offer other treatments, including:

• Proton beam radiation therapy. Proton therapy uses protons, not X-rays, to destroy tumors. UCSF Health offers proton therapy for adults with ocular (eye) cancer.

• Hyperthermia. This treatment heats body tissue to damage cancer cells. It's often used with radiation therapy or chemotherapy.