Radiation therapy options
At City of Hope, we use highly targeted forms of radiation therapy to treat some gynecologic cancers, including uterine, vaginal, vulvar and advanced cervical cancer.
Depending on your treatment plan, you may receive radiation therapy after surgery to help reduce the risk of recurrence. For some women with advanced disease, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are recommended following surgery.
During gynecologic cancer radiation therapy, our oncologists deliver high radiation doses to cancerous cells, while sparing healthy tissues. By focusing the radiation directly on the tumor or tumor bed, these therapies minimize the risk of developing common radiation side effects, including issues related to gastrointestinal and sexual function.
Some radiation therapies available to gynecologic cancer patients at City of Hope include:
External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)
EBRT directs a beam of radiation from outside the body at cancerous tissues inside the body. It uses doses of radiation to destroy cancerous cells and shrink tumors. EBRT may be administered daily over a period of six to eight weeks. Each treatment takes a few minutes and is done as an outpatient procedure.
Two of the EBRT therapies available to patients at City of Hope are:
Intensity modulated radiation (IMRT): IMRT is an external radiation delivery system used to treat difficult-to-reach tumors. Using advanced software to plan a precise dose of radiation, based on the size, shape and location of your tumor, a computer-controlled device delivers radiation in sculpted doses that match the 3-D geometrical shape of your tumor. IMRT may be an appropriate treatment if you have previously had conventional radiation therapy and are experiencing recurrent tumors in the treated area.
TomoTherapy®: TomoTherapy combines a form of IMRT with the accuracy of a CT scanner in one machine. With this technology, we sculpt radiation doses to match complex tumor shapes while avoiding sensitive structures. Before every treatment, scanning technology provides a 3D image of the treatment area, so the radiation beams can be targeted according to the size, shape and location of the tumor on that specific day. Side effects are often reduced because less radiation reaches healthy tissues and organs. Many cancer patients who have reached their maximum tolerance dose of traditional radiation may be candidates for TomoTherapy radiation.
High-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy
HDR brachytherapy is a type of internal radiation therapy that delivers radiation from implants placed close to, or inside, the tumor. This technique is designed to deliver the maximum radiation dose to cancerous tissues, while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue. At City of Hope, HDR brachytherapy may be combined with EBRT and chemotherapy to treat your cancer.
Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT)
IORT delivers a concentrated dose of radiation therapy to a tumor bed during surgery. This technology may be used if you have early-stage disease to help destroy microscopic tumor cells, reduce radiation treatment times or provide and added radiation boost.
