Outstanding Care with the Latest Technology

We offer state-of-the-art medical technology, IGRT, IMRT, brachytherapy, seed implants and access to the Gamma Knife technology. We are proud to be on the leading edge of technology, treatment and innovative research to give the finest possible care to our cancer patients.

About Radiation Medicine

Destroying Cancer

Fifty-five to sixty percent of all people with cancer are treated with radiation during their course of therapy. For many of these patients, radiation medicine, or radiotherapy, is the only kind of treatment utilized to destroy the cancer.

How it Works

Radiation at high levels – ten thousand times the amount used to produce a chest X-ray – carefully aimed and timed, destroys the ability of cells to grow and divide. Both normal and diseased cells are affected, but most normal cells are able to recover quickly.

External vs. Internal Radiation Therapy

In external therapy, a machine directs the high-energy rays to the cancer and some of the tissue around it. Various machines work in slightly different ways. Some are better for treating cancer near the skin surface; others work best on cancers deeper in the body. Most people are treated with external therapy, given during outpatient visits to the hospital.

For patients having internal therapy, usually a small capsule of radioactive material is implanted inside a body cavity or directly into the cancer.

The decision is yours

Deciding whether or not to receive radiotherapy is made just as any other decision for medical care, such as an operation. It should be made with knowledge of expected benefits and possible side effects. Obviously, the input of your physicians, especially your Radiation Oncologist, is essential.

Your Radiation Oncologist will not advise any treatment unless the benefits you expect — such as control of disease and relief from symptoms – exceed the known risks.

Cancer Treatment Services

Lexington Medical Center’s range of services and technology offer you the latest in treatment and support.

• CT (Computed Tomography)
  Flouroscopy and General Radiography (GR)
• Interventional Radiology (Special Procedures)
• MRI
• Nuclear Medicine
• PET/CT Scan (Position Emission Tomography)
• Ultrasound
• PACS (Picture Archiving Communication System)

Your Radiation Oncology Team

Your Radiation Oncologist, a physician who specializes in the use of radiation to treat cancer, leads the team in evaluating your condition, then develops, carries out and oversees your treatment plan. By asking questions and keeping your appointments, you are a key player on the team.

The Radiation Oncologist heads up a highly trained team of cancer care professionals.

• Radiation Physicists calibrate the treatment machines to ensure that the dose delivered accurately reflects the physician’s prescription.
• Radiation Dosimetrists compute the dosage of radiation prescribed by the Radiation Oncologist.
• Radiation Therapists deliver the prescribed treatment and assist you before and after each treatment session.
• Radiation Oncology Nurses assist you and the Radiation Oncologist in medical-surgical procedures and are valuable information resources for you.
• You may also use the services of a dietitian, a physical therapist, a social worker or other health care professionals.