What is Radiation Oncology?
Radiation oncology is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy particles, such as x-rays, to destroy or damage cancer cells. Cancer cells grow and divide much faster than most normal, healthy cells. Radiation works by making small breaks in a cell’s DNA. These breaks keep cancer cells from growing, causing them to die. Healthy cells that are nearby can also be affected by radiation, but most recover. While other cancer-fighting techniques affect the whole body, radiation therapy usually targets cells in one specific area of the body. This means radiation damages cancer cells with as little harm as possible to nearby healthy cells.
More than half of people who are diagnosed with cancer receive radiation therapy, and it can be used to treat many different types of cancer. Sometimes, radiation is used on its own and other times it’s combined with other types of treatment such as chemotherapy, surgery or immunotherapy. Radiation can also be used to relieve symptoms like pain, trouble swallowing or breathing, or bowel blockages that can be caused by advanced cancer. The decision to use radiation therapy depends on the type and stage of cancer, and other health problems a patient might have.
Radiation Treatments
Radiation therapy uses targeted, high-energy radiation to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells by damaging their DNA. Radiation is administered either by a machine from outside the body or by placing radioactive material directly into your cancerous area.
Your radiation therapy treatment plan will depend on your type of cancer, the location of your cancer, your medical history, and the recommendations of your cancer care team.
We offer several types of specialized radiation therapy, such as:
Advanced Therapies & Procedures
The CBCC radiation oncology department is devoted to being a leader in innovative treatment methodologies. Our team of specialists continually reviews and researches evolving treatment methods and invests in sophisticated, leading edge technology as it becomes available.
CBCC advanced offerings include:
• TrueBeam® Radiotherapy System
• CyberKnife® Radiosurgery
• Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)
• Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
• Prostate Seed Implantation
• High Dose Rate Brachytherapy
• MammoSite Partial Breast Irradiation
• Prone Breast Radiation Technique
• Respiratory Gating
• Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT)
TrueBeam® Radiotherapy System
TrueBeam® radiotherapy system is a medical linear accelerator that provides image-guided radiotherapy with a high precision to treat tumors and lesions in various parts of the body, including lungs, breasts, head, and neck.
Feature and benefits include:
Provides a variety of treatment techniques with pinpoint accuracy and precision to address a broad range of cancer cases.
Respiration-synchronized MV/kV radiographs, 4D CBCT, Iterative CBCT, Triggered Imaging, and more with 25% less X-ray dose to the patient.
Grants the monitoring patient's breathing and compensate for the movement of tumor while the dose is being delivered to the patient.
Sub-millimeter accuracy ensures delivery conformality.
Our proprietary Maestro synchronous control system enables seamless system operation.
Built-in patient safety features that allow clinicians navigate the complexities of cancer care with confidence.
ACR Accreditation
CBCC is accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR) – the gold standard of medical imaging.
The ACR has a rigorous set of independent standards for patient safety and top quality care, with only 10% of the nation's radiation oncology centers having successfully passed the evaluation. We are very proud to have received this prestigious ACR Accreditation.
CyberKnife® Radiosurgery
For many cancers, CyberKnife® provides a precise, painless alternative to surgery or traditional radiation therapy.
The CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System is the first and only in Kern County, and one of only 150 worldwide. Pain-free, non-surgical, and given on an out-patient basis, the CyberKnife® can deliver targeted radiation therapy to a tumor located anywhere in the body from virtually unlimited positions.
Despite its name, CyberKnife® radiosurgery doesn’t require any incisions, which is crucial for treating certain areas of your body, such as your brain and spine. The robotic design, coupled with real-time imaging, enables a maximum dose of radiation directly to the tumor from many different angles with sub-millimeter precision. This greatly reduces the risk of damaging critical structures surrounding the tumor. The treatment is extremely safe in the hands of our experienced and trained radiation oncologists.