RADIATION ONCOLOGY AT UCI MEDICAL CENTER

Overview

Radiation therapy along with surgery and chemotherapy forms the backbone of modern cancer management. It is estimated that at least half of all cancer patients benefit from radiation treatments at some point during their care. The Department of Radiation Oncology at UCI Medical Center offers the full range of radiation therapy services. Skilled and experienced physicians and physicists utilize the latest technology to provide the best possible radiation therapy for cancer care. As part of their commitment to the oncology programs at UCI Medical Center, we offer experienced physicians, caring staff, and the most modern technology.

The Latest Technology

The Department of Radiation Oncology is a modern, state of the art facility located on the first floor of the Chao Family Clinical Cancer Research Center. The latest in radiation therapy technology available includes:

Varian 2300 C/D Linear Accelerator with Dual Energy X-Rays and Six Electrons Energies	Varian 600 C/D Linear Accelerator  (Click here for animation)
Ximatron Simulator	NOMOS Peacock Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning and Delivery System
ADAC 3D Therapy Planning System (Including Virtual Simulation and Image Fusion Capabilities)	Radioactive seed implants

Comprehensive Radiation Oncology Services

Successful treatment of malignant disease requires the expertise in many disciplines. The faculty of the Department of Radiation Oncology offer consultation, 2nd opinion, and multi-disciplinary consultation.

Consultation & Therapy
2nd Opinion Consultation
Multi-disciplinary Consultation (Brain tumors, Lung cancer, Lymphomas, Pediatrics, GI, ENT, etc)
Brachytherapy (Radioactive Seed Implants) for cancer of cervix, uterus, vagina, head & neck, brain, sarcomas, breast, melanoma, etc).  [Note -- temporarily, the Department is not offering prostate brachytherapy.]

Total Body Irradiation
3-D Conformal Radiation Therapy

Receiving Radiation Treatment

The process of receiving radiation therapy begins with consultation. The faculty of the Department of Radiation Oncology are board certified specialists with years of experience. Not only do they see patients in their clinic, they work closely with surgeons, gynecologic oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, and support staff in all the multi-disciplinary programs at UCI including Brain Tumor Group, Gynecology-Oncology Tumor Board, Head & Neck Oncology Tumor Board, and Pediatric Tumor Board.
The next step is treatment planning (simulation). Treatment plans are commonly designed by CT based treatment planning, a service offered with the assistance of the UCIMC Radiology Department. Computer generated dosimetry is provided by the ADAC Pinnacle-3 Treatment Planner for accurate dose calculation. The treatment beams are individually shaped to protect normal tissue by block made by the Huestis Block Fabrication device.

Treatments are given on one of the two linear accelerators, which generate mega voltage X-rays for cancer therapy. High energy beams are available for more homogeneous dose delivery of internal areas. Electron beams can be used for treatment of superficial areas to avoiding treatment of underlying tissues. A sophisticated QA program, which includes the VARiS Record and Verify System as well as comprehensive linac QA, insures that high quality therapy is delivered.

Friendly, caring, and knowledgeable staff help patient through treatment. Side effects are managed with the help of faculty, who are on site full time. Staff within the Department staff are multi-lingual. Once treatments are completed, the patients are seen on a long term basis to monitor the resolution of side effects and the results of treatment.