Radiation therapy
An oncologist is a type of doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer. One type of treatment an oncologist may use is radiation therapy, which destroys cancer cells through beams of strong energy.
Radiation treatment in Western North Carolina
If radiotherapy is part of your care plan, our oncologists stay with you throughout your journey.
Mission Health Physicians' radiation oncology practices offer several inventive, targeted therapies, such as robotic radiotherapy, aimed at shortening your number of treatment sessions so that you can get back to your life.
Related specialties
Learn more about our related specialties.
Conditions treated with radiation therapy
Our oncology practices offer radiotherapy treatments that target specific cancers, including:
- Bone cancer
- Brain cancer
- Breast cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Fallopian tube cancers
- Head and neck cancer
- Liver cancer
- Lung cancer
- Ovarian cancers
- Pancreatic cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Skin cancer
- Uterine cancer
- Vaginal cancer
- Vulvar cancer
Radiation treatments we offer
When you come to us for oncology care, you'll have access to the full resources of our radiation therapy physicians group.
Types of radiation therapy
The radiation therapy you receive is dependent on your type of cancer, its stage and your overall health. Your family physician and cancer care team will help you decide the treatment that best fits your needs. These may include:
- High-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR)
- Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT)
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
- Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT)
- Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)
- Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)
Focused ultrasound radiosurgery
Our medical group is affiliated with Mission Health, one of the largest medical systems in the region. Mission Health is also one of the first hospital systems to offer focused ultrasound, a robotic radiation therapy technique.
The procedure, a delivery system for SRS and SBRT, tracks tumors in 3D space, while correcting for movement. Focused ultrasound delivers precise beams of energy with sub-millimeter accuracy, destroying harmful cells, while minimizing damage to surrounding tissue. The procedure treats lung cancer, brain cancer and prostate cancer.
Focused ultrasound can potentially minimize the number of therapy appointments for men diagnosed with prostate cancer by up to 90 percent. If your selected course of treatment, your experience may have reduced side effects, immobilization and treatment time.
Interventional radiation care
We always opt for the least invasive treatment for your care. To that end, our oncology team may refer you for interventional radiation treatments. During this procedure, an interventional radiologist inserts an image-guided tube or catheter into your artery or vein to deliver radioactive treatment to cancerous cells. Interventional radiology offers less risk, pain and recovery time compared to traditional surgical methods.
Pediatric cancer care
We understand our youngest patients need care tailored to their ages and developing bodies. If your family is dealing with a cancer diagnosis, our practices' specially-trained pediatric oncology team can relate to your child, as well as take into account their physical development. They will also have access to our hematologists, nurse practitioners, social workers and child life specialists, a multispecialty team familiar with managing pediatric cancers. Care may be given at one of our oncology offices or the SECU Cancer Center.