External beam radiation is the most common form of local treatment, meaning the radiation is only aimed at a specific part of the body. Doctors aim high-powered radiation beams directly at the tumor from outside the body. This treatment usually happens in daily sessions over the course of several weeks.
The cancer experts at the MedStar Health are skilled in using a variety of advanced external beam radiation methods to attack cancer. We will work with you to determine the treatment method that will be most beneficial for you. External beam radiation therapies we use include:
- 3D Conformal radiotherapy is a radiation therapy technique that sculpts radiation beams to the shape of a tumor. This is ideal for tumors that have irregular shapes or for those that are close to healthy tissues and organs. We view a tumor in three dimensions with the help of imaging and deliver radiation beams from several directions to the tumor.
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) allows the radiation beamlets (tiny beams) to move and change intensity depending on the type of tissue they are targeting. Rather than using one large radiation beam, the radiation is broken up into thousands of thin radiation beams. This procedure delivers high doses of radiation to the cancer tumor while limiting the exposure to nearby organs. It is a non-invasive procedure and, therefore, may be easier on the patient than surgical procedures. IMRT accuracy is enhanced by IGRT.
- Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) uses high-quality imaging technology to create pictures of a tumor during the radiation procedure. Using these images, your radiation oncology team carefully adjusts radiation beams and doses during the procedure to best fit the size, shape, and location of the tumor, while sparing normal tissues. IGRT can integrate respiratory motion technology to track the exact position of a tumor while a patient is breathing. IGRT is primarily used for patients whose tumors are directly adjacent to critical structures when an immediately adjacent area has been previously irradiated or when dose escalation is planned and where conventional means of targeting are deemed to be inadequate.
- Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), also known as Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), uses imaging technology to pinpoint the location of a tumor, including factoring in its motion, and delivering very high doses of radiation directly to it without affecting surrounding healthy tissue.
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CyberKnife® is one of the most advanced and effective stereotactic radiosurgery technologies and is available at MedStar Health. Read more here.
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MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Health Bel Air Medical Campus
12 MedStar Blvd. Ste. 180 Bel Air, MD 21015
MedStar Health: Breast Center at Bel Air
12 MedStar Blvd. Ste. 180 Bel Air, MD 21015
MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
3800 Reservoir Rd. NW Washington, DC 20007
MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
9103 Franklin Square Dr. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Cancer Institute Suite 220 Baltimore, MD 21237
MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital
7501 Surratts Rd. Ste. 101 Clinton, MD 20735
MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital
25500 Point Lookout Rd. First Fl. Leonardtown, MD 20650
MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center
110 Irving Street, NW Washington, D.C., 20010
MedStar Health: MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
18105 Prince Philip Dr. TG100 Olney, MD 20832
MedStar Franklin Square Cancer Center at Loch Raven Campus
5601 Loch Raven Blvd. Russell Morgan Building First Floor Baltimore, MD 21239
MedStar Health: Infusion Center at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
18105 Prince Philip Drive Olney, MD 20832
MedStar Health: Oncology Care at MedStar Harbor Hospital
3001 South Hanover St. Outpatient Medical Center, Ground Floor Baltimore, MD 21225