Radiation Therapy
Attacking cancer with high-energy waves
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Helping You Fight Cancer with Radiation Therapy
When you have cancer, you have a range of treatment options available at Mount Auburn Hospital. These include advanced forms of radiation therapy.
Radiation destroys cancer cells with high-energy waves. You can’t see or feel the waves, but they can be a very effective cancer therapy. At Mount Auburn Hospital, you’ll benefit from an experienced team that includes nationally recognized leaders in radiation oncology. We work with your entire cancer care team to help you achieve the best possible treatment results.
Cancer Care of the Highest Quality
Radiation Therapy at Mount Auburn Hospital is accredited by the American College of Radiology/American Society of Radiation Oncology. This designation means when you receive care from us, you’ll benefit from:
- A personalized treatment plan.
- Education on the risks and benefits of your treatment options. We want you to make informed decisions.
- Radiation oncologists (cancer doctors) who continually assess your progress and communicate with other providers to help ensure you get the right care at the right time.
- Strict measures to ensure your safety before and during radiation treatments.
Types of Cancer We Treat with Radiation
We use radiation therapy to treat many types of cancer:
- Bone cancer
- Brain cancer
- Breast cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Chronic leukemia
- Colon cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Head and neck cancers
- Liver cancer
- Lung cancer
- Lymphoma
- Melanoma
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Ovarian cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Sarcoma
- Thyroid cancer
- Uterine cancer
Types of Radiation We Offer
We offer several forms of radiation therapy. Your doctor will recommend the type of treatment that’s best for your specific condition.
External radiation involves the use of a machine called a linear accelerator. It sends X-rays from outside your body into your tumor.
Treatment for breast cancer also involves the use of a device called a collimator. It minimizes radiation to your heart and lungs. At Mount Auburn Hospital, you may be able to complete external radiation therapy in three weeks, instead of the conventional six weeks. This helps you return to your daily routine sooner.
Before you receive external radiation as part of your treatment for prostate cancer, your doctor may place tiny gold seeds near your prostate. This helps the organ show up on an X-ray. X-ray images help us precisely target radiation to your tumor and limit exposure to healthy tissue.
Depending on your specific needs, we may use one of several types of external radiation.
Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
IGRT uses high-quality, 3-D images to pinpoint the site of your tumor. It can adjust for tumors that move.
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
IMRT conforms to a tumor’s shape. It minimizes radiation exposure to healthy tissues.
Stereotactic Radiotherapy
Stereotactic radiotherapy involves the use of tightly focused radiation beams, rather than surgery, to eliminate tumors.
Brachytherapy involves placing small radioactive pellets, or seeds, into or near your tumor. The pellets may stay in place for a few minutes or a few days. Some seeds remain in your body permanently. However, they stop giving off radiation after several weeks.
Systemic radiation involves injections or pills that contain radioactive substances. They travel through your body, attaching to cancer cells and killing them.
Electron Beam Therapy uses low-energy electron beams to treat skin cancer and tumors close to your skin. This type of therapy spares deeper tissue from radiation exposure.
Get Started
Take the first step on your journey toward better health.
Meet Our Radiation Oncologists
Cancer Care
If you have cancer, we have the services and specialties to support you at every stage of your cancer journey.
Related Locations
22 Mill Street Suite 106
Arlington, MA 02476
781-641-1940
725 Concord Avenue Suite 3400
Cambridge, MA 02137
617-499-6789
