Florida Hospital Flagler’s Cancer Institute provides comprehensive care and a variety of cutting-edge radiation therapies for patients diagnosed with cancer. From chemotherapy and hematological treatment plans, to access to research protocols, to assistance with social, financial, home health care and hospice issues, our Medical Oncology program offers patients personalized cancer care delivered with commitment and compassion. Combine this high level of technology with our expertly trained staff and you've got the same caliber of services as the nations top programs. All right here at home.
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Cancer Institute - Radiation Oncology
Treatment Options
External Radiation Therapy
External Radiation Therapy uses the linear accelerator, which directs the radiation at specific areas of a patient's body. Radiation is an effective cancer treatment because it has the capacity to damage rapidly growing cancer cells.
3-D Conformal Therapy
The advent of 3-D Conformal Therapy expanded the precision in which radiation may be administered. By using advanced computer graphics, CT scans and algorithms to precisely generate a visual, three-dimensional image of the tumor site, the radiation oncologist is able to determine the best means of delivering radiation within the confines of a tumor.
IMRT
The newest form of external radiation therapy is Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). It is a highly sophisticated, computerized method of accurately pinpointing tumors with radiation. It allows the maximum radiation dosage while sparing damage to the surrounding tissues and organs. This allows patients to complete their course of treatment with less acute side effects. The Cancer Care Center is the only facility in East Volusia or Flagler County to offer this treatment option to patients. IMRT can be used to treat the following sites, when appropriate:
- Prostate
- Breast
- Spine
- Lung
- Head & Neck
IGRT
Image Guided Radiation Treatment (IGRT) is the latest in external beam radiation where two robotically controlled "arms" capture CT, fluoroscopic and X-Ray images on a daily basis, pinpointing the position of the cancer tumors just prior to treatment. Some tumors can move during the course of treatment, and IGRT combined with IMRT affords increased precision which allows for higher doses of radiation - ultimately leading to higher cure rates.
Respiratory Gating
Respiratory Gating with IGRT synchronizes the delivery of radiation with the patient's own respiratory cycle. With each breath, organs in the chest and upper abdomen move. A tumor in a person's lung, liver, or breast may move within a two-inch range between inhalation and exhalation, which means that when doctors attack the tumor with external radiation, they must treat healthy tissue as well as the tumor if the radiation beam is on during the entire respiratory cycle. With Respiratory Gating, oncologists are able to minimize the dose of radiation delivered to normal tissue while continuing to treat all of disease.
Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy is a treatment option for cancer in its earlier stages and is used when the cancer is confined to a specific site. The procedure involves implanting tiny pellets containing radioactive materials directly into the middle of the cancer where they give off radiation.
Prostate Seed Implants
Prostate seed implants are tiny radioactive pellets - smaller than a grain of rice - that are used as treatment for prostate cancer. There is no need for a surgical incision. Instead, the radioactive seeds are contained in thin needles that are passed through the skin to the affected areas.
Cancer Institute - Medical Oncology
We provide comprehensive care for patients diagnosed with cancer. From chemotherapy and hematological treatment plans, to access to research protocols, to assistance with social, financial, home health care and hospice issues, our Medical Oncology program offers patients personalized cancer care delivered with commitment and compassion.
Chemotherapy is available and provides a treatment alternative that uses various chemotherapeutic agents to kill or suppress cancer cell development. Usually given on an outpatient basis, chemotherapy can be used in combination with other therapies such as radiation therapy, as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. Our oncology nurses provide regular teaching sessions for chemotherapy patients.
