The goal of radiation therapy is to deliver enough radiation into the body to kill the cancer cells while preventing damage to healthy tissue. This is done by using one of several machines, that have the ability to be aimed precisely at the same target or targets, each and every time treatment is given. The high energy rays used for radiation therapy can come from a variety of sources.

The Department of Radiation Medicine currently has two Elekta Versa HD linear accelerators, a Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator, and a Tomotherapy HD unit used to provide external beam electron and photon radiotherapy. 

Image guidance consists of onboard-imagers at all LINACs with both kV-kV, cone beam CT and MVCT capabilities. BrainLab ExacTrac fluoroscopy and optical guidance imaging is utilized as part of a full-service image guidance program. We have a Siemens SOMATON X.ceed CT scanner with respiratory gating capabilities for 4D CT based simulation. We also have available a 4D PET CT scanner within our department that can be utilized for biologic functional treatment planning. 

Eclipse is the primary treatment planning system and Mosaiq serves as the record and verify system. These systems support CT-based 3D treatment planning, inverse modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), volumetric-modulated arc radiotherapy (VMAT), dynamic conformal arc therapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy, Linac-based radiosurgery, total body irradiation and total skin electron-beam therapy.

The department uses high-dose rate (HDR) Iridium-192 for the majority of its brachytherapy needs.  We have an active I-125 eye plaque brachytherapy program for choroidal melanomas with the Casey Eye Institute.