Treatment Options

Our national network of radiation therapy centers offers a variety of highly advanced treatment options for different forms and stages of cancer. In this section, read about the various treatment approaches and learn which might be right for you. Or, use our location finder to see which of our centers and treatment options are available near you.

External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT)

EBRT uses highly sophisticated systems to irradiate tumors from outside the body. It is a powerful weapon against many different types of cancer. In some cases EBRT is applied as a standalone therapy. In others, it is recommended either before or after surgery.

If you and your 21st Century Oncology team decide on EBRT, there are several different technology options available.

EBRT technology options

  • 3D-Conformal Radiation Therapy, which conforms the radiation beam to the shape of the tumor
  • Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy, which precisely adjusts the strength of thousands of individual "beamlets" aimed at the tumor
  • Tomotherapy
  • Stereotactic Radiosurgery
  • Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy

All of these systems use Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) to ensure proper patient positioning. Some also feature real-time tumor tracking called respiratory gating, where the radiation beams are continuously adjusted to accommodate the motion of the patient’s breathing. This means that radiation only hits the tumor and not the healthy tissue surrounding it.

While these different therapies may share similar features and benefits, each is particularly effective against or suitable for certain tumors. Talk to your doctor about which one might be right for you.

Internal Radiation Therapy (Brachytherapy)

Brachytherapy is a powerful form of internally delivered radiation therapy that destroys a number of different types of cancers including prostate, gynecologic and breast cancer. It can be used as a standalone treatment or after a tumor has been surgically removed to eliminate any remaining cancerous cells and help prevent a recurrence.

There are two types of Brachytherapy: High-Dose Rate (HDR) and Low-Dose Rate (LDR). The difference is the rate at which the radiation is delivered.

Brachytherapy targets tumors with radiation delivered through a catheter. Since the radiation does not pass through healthy tissue to treat the tumor, it is extremely precise and enables your Radiation Oncologist to target the radiation directly at the tumor site with less risk of damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

Learn More About Treatment Options

3D-Conformal Radiation Therapy

3D-Conformal Radiation Therapy is one of the most common forms of external radiation therapy. The delivery system uses a "multi-leaf collimator" to literally shape, or conform, the radiation beam to the tumor.

Brachytherapy – High Dose Rate (HDR)

HDR Brachytherapy is a powerful form of internally delivered radiation therapy that destroys many types of cancers including skin, cervical, prostate and breast. It can be used as a standalone treatment or after a tumor has been surgically removed to eliminate any remaining cancerous cells.

Brachytherapy – Low Dose Rate (LDR)

LDR Brachytherapy is a powerful form of internally delivered radiation therapy that destroys many types of cancers including cervical, esophageal, head and neck and lung, but it is most often used to treat prostate cancer.

External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT)

External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) uses highly sophisticated systems to irradiate tumors from outside the body. It is a powerful weapon against many different types of cancer.

Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)

Image-Guided Radiation Therapy combines imaging, such as CT scans, with radiation therapy during each treatment session. This allows your radiation therapy treatment team to confirm and track movement of the tumor at the time of treatment and make fine adjustments to your position.

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)

Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is another type of external radiation therapy that uses thousands of radiation “beamlets” from many different angles to deliver radiation to your tumor.

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT)

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) can deliver higher doses of radiation in fewer treatment sessions, with less risk to surrounding healthy tissue.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)

Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) can deliver higher doses of radiation in fewer treatment sessions, with less risk to surrounding healthy tissue. It is particularly effective against small, well-defined tumors in inoperable or surgically risky locations such as the brain and spine.

Tomotherapy

Unlike conventional EBRT systems, tomotherapy delivers radiation slice-by-slice rather than irradiating the entire tumor at one time. It targets and shapes the radiation to the tumor, destroying or shrinking it over time with minimum damage to surrounding healthy tissue.