Radiation oncology uses radiation to help treat malignancies and benign diseases. Treatments involve the precise administration of high-energy beams, such as X-rays, gamma rays or protons, to target and destroy cancerous cells while minimizing any exposure to the surrounding healthy tissues.
Because of the targeted nature of radiation therapy, it is often a part of treatment plans that could also include surgery, chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy to increase the anti-cancer effectiveness of your treatment plan. Tampa General radiation oncologists work with your treatment team to determine the ideal use of radiation for your particular cancer.
Why Choose Tampa General
Some of the most significant progress in treatments have come from the radiation oncology field. Tampa General is committed to being a leading cancer institute in Florida, and offers innovative treatments and technologies to provide our patients with the highest quality of care. This not only allows our team to accurately map malignancies but also gives us the opportunity to treat cancers more precisely than ever before.
The radiation oncology program at Tampa General’s Cancer Institute features some of the most advanced treatments and personalized care for patients. With a team of world-renowned radiation oncologists and researchers, our program provides access to the best and newest radiation treatments, promising research clinical trials, and world-class, multidisciplinary care tailored to treat each patient’s individual needs.
Our Radiation Oncologists
Our team of nationally recognized physicians, researchers and medical physicists are the backbone of Tampa General’s radiation program. Working together, we are committed to advancing cancer care with state-of-the-art therapies, innovative techniques and individualized treatment plans, determining the best use of the numerous technologies at our disposal for your particular cancer. Our team is often at the forefront of pioneering new technologies in oncology and applying them for the benefit of our patients.
Schedule an appointment with our world-renowned radiation oncologists.
Conditions We Treat with Radiation Therapy
Radiation can be used to address a broad range of malignant and benign conditions, including but not limited to the following malignancies:
- Blood and other hematological cancers
- Breast cancer, in which radiation is often delivered after surgery to destroy any remaining microscopic cancer cells in the breast, chest wall, or underarm area (axilla)
- Gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies, including:
- Colorectal cancer, where radiation can be used before surgery to shrink tumors, making them easier to remove, or after surgery to eliminate any remaining microscopic cancer cells
- Other GI cancers, such as anal, esophageal, intestinal, liver, and pancreas, and other organs involved in the body's hepatobiliary system
- Genitourinary (GU) cancers, including:
- Prostate cancer, in which radiation is frequently used either as a primary treatment or after surgery to target any remaining microscopic cancer cells in the prostate
- Other forms of GU disease, including bladder, penile, and urological malignancies
- Gynecological cancers - Radiation is frequently included in a comprehensive treatment plan, often in combination with chemotherapy, to address cancers affecting the female reproductive system
- These can include cervical, endometrial, ovarian, uterine, and vaginal malignancies
- Head and neck cancers – radiation is commonly used to treat tumors in the mouth, throat, and nasal cavity
- Neurological and Central Nervous System (CNS) cancers, including brain tumors, for which radiation can be used to target primary tumors as well as cancer that has metastasized to the brain after developing in other parts of the body, as well as spinal cancer and other diseases of the CNS
- Skin cancers
- Soft tissue and bone cancers, including sarcomas
- Thoracic disease, such as lung cancers, in which radiation may be used for both small cell and non-small cell lung cancers, often in combination with chemotherapy
In addition to cancer, radiation can also be used to treat a variety of non-cancerous conditions, such as myeloproliferative disorders, osteoarthritis, trigeminal neuralgia, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), acoustic neuroma, heterotopic ossification (HO), keloids, essential tremors, and others.
Your TGH team will work with you to determine if radiation is appropriate and, if so, which form is best suited to your condition.
Radiation Treatment Options
There are numerous types of radiation approved to treat cancer. TGH's radiation oncologists complement their extensive expertise with cutting-edge techniques, technologies and equipment to help ensure the best possible outcome for each patient. Tampa General offers both common and novel approaches, which are designed to precisely target cancer cells while minimizing exposure to the surrounding healthy tissues.
- Brachytherapy (interstitial and intracavity) involves the placement of radioactive material directly inside or next to a tumor:
- High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy – Temporarily places a high-dose radiation source close to or inside a tumor, delivering a short-term, concentrated dose of radiation
- Low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy – Places small radioactive seeds permanently near or within a tumor, delivering a long-term low dose of radiation
- External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is the standard and most commonly used form of radiation, using a machine to deliver precise doses of radiation to cancer cells from outside the body.
- GammaTile® therapy is used immediately following the surgical removal of a brain tumor. It involves placing a bioresorbable, postage-stamp-sized collagen tile at the tumor site to target any remaining microscopic cancer cells with precise gamma ray doses before those cells can spread.
- Varian TrueBeam™ System using HyperSight imaging offers fast and precise image-guided radiation therapy for hard-to-reach tumors. Using advanced technology to produce 3D images during treatment allows doctors to target small and complex tumors and can dramatically decrease treatment time from 30 minutes to two minutes while maintaining accuracy, precision, and safety.
- Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) can be used to treat malignant and benign tumors throughout the body, allowing radiation intensity to be adjusted during treatment to precisely deliver the radiation to the tumor with the goal of sparing normal surrounding tissue.
- Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) is an advanced form of IMRT in which single or multiple radiation beams sweep in arcs rather than remaining static. This therapy delivers a high-powered, targeted dose of radiation with minimal damage to normal surrounding tissue and critical anatomy.
Tampa General's world-class radiation oncology program includes advanced technologies and targeting techniques - such as the CyberKnife® S7 system and Varian TrueBeam™ System - to personalize treatment plans based on your exact needs.
- Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) provides a concentrated dose of radiation directly to a tumor site during surgery, allowing for precise targeting.
- Surface-guided radiation therapy (SGRT) leverages advanced surface imaging technology during treatment to track the patient's body position in real-time, ensuring the precise targeting of the radiation beam and minimizing any movement-related errors.
- Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) delivered through the CyberKnife® S7 system is a noninvasive alternative to surgical treatment that uses a fully automated, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven system. This approach incorporates real-time motion adaptation to deliver treatments to any part of the body with sub-millimeter precision in as little as 15 minutes.
- Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) uses advanced imaging techniques and sophisticated equipment to deliver highly precise, concentrated doses of radiation to small, well-defined tumors within the body cavity over a short time.
- Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) uses highly focused radiation beams to target tumors in body parts other than the brain and spine.
Support Services
We know there's a lot more to cancer than just the actual treatment. With this in mind, we offer comprehensive support services to ensure that patients receive world-class care far beyond diagnosis and treatment.
Starting with our nurse navigator who will be with you every step of the way, our support services include financial assistance, genetic counseling, nutrition, oncology psychology, an outpatient rehabilitation program (including physical, occupational, speech, lymphedema, and biofeedback therapy), palliative care, patient advocacy and education, patient and caregiver support groups, social work, spiritual care, a survivorship program and financial assistance.
Our goal at TGH is to provide you with unparalleled clinical care and more.
Research & Clinical Trials
We further demonstrate our continued commitment to world-class care through active participation in clinical trials, which can provide our patients with access to advanced therapies and technologies.
To see how we are positively impacting patients, learn more about research and clinical trials at the TGH Cancer Institute.
