Areas of Expertise
At Joliet Radiation Oncology we have years of experience in treating all types of cancers. We offer a variety of treatment options including:
3D conformal radiation therapy with CT guided virtual simulation
3D (Three dimensional) Conformal radiation therapy uses images obtained from a CT simulation to create a three-dimensional picture of the tumor using specialized computer software. This provides the physician the ability to locate the tumor precisely. Treatments are then planned so that the radiation beams conform precisely to the targeted area. Depending on tumor size and location, 3D conformal therapy may be the treatment method of choice. The determination will be made by the radiation oncologist.
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IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy)
IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) is an advanced cancer treatment technique that is used to deliver complex doses of radiation to tumors. The advantage of IMRT over traditional radiotherapy is that IMRT enables “dose sculpting”, the ability to target higher doses of radiation to a tumor while minimizing or excluding doses to surrounding healthy tissues. IMRT is the preferred method of treatment delivery when the tumor is close to vital organs and other tissues that are highly sensitive to radiation. IMRT has greatly benefited many of our patients by allowing higher treatment doses while reducing complications and side effects. IMRT is not always best suited for treating certain cancers or certain parts of the body. The determination will be made by the radiation oncologist.
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IGRT (Image Guided Radiation Therapy)
IGRT (Image Guided Radiation Therapy) enables the radiation therapy team to obtain high resolution, three-dimensional images (CT cross sections) for patient position verification and adjustment at the time of treatment. IGRT allows the Radiation Oncologist to "see inside" patients just prior to delivery of daily treatments and/or at the time of treatment. IGRT provides the efficiency and the precision needed to deliver more accurate treatments, as well as making it more convenient for the patient.
The radiation therapy team is able to make adjustments based on observations of tumor response made during the course of treatment. Using image-guided techniques, specialists can target cancers more precisely and spare normal, healthy tissue, resulting in better outcomes and reduced side effects for patients.
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Brachytherapy (low dose and high dose)
Brachytherapy is a type of radiation used to treat specific cancer patients. Unlike external beam therapy, in which a patient is treated using a high energy x-ray beam, brachytherapy involves placing a radioactive source directly inside the body. Brachytherapy may be either temporary or permanent and can be administered at a low-dose rate (LDR) or high-dose rate (HDR). Brachytherapy is used to treat cancers throughout the body including the prostate, cervix, uterus, vagina, and breast.
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Partial Breast Irradiation
Partial-breast irradiation was developed to address both reducing recurrence after lumpectomy and shortening radiation treatment length. At Joliet Radiation Oncology we are using MammoSite and Savi to achieve this goal.
MammoSite is a small balloon at the end of a tube called a catheter. At the time of the lumpectomy, the surgeon places the balloon into the empty space where the cancer was removed. The balloon is inflated with fluid and is left in place until treatment is completed. The catheter runs from the balloon out of the breast through a small hole.
Savi is an applicator that is inserted into the lumpectomy cavity either at the time of the lumpectomy or as a post surgical procedure. Once the applicator is in place it is expanded and conforms to the size of the cavity. The applicator is left in place until treatment is completed.
Treatments are given on an outpatient basis at Joliet Radiation Oncology. During treatment the device is hooked up to the HDR unit and a radioactive source is inserted through the catheter up into the treatment device. The source stays inside the device for 5-10 minutes. The source is then removed. Treatments are given twice a day (morning and afternoon) for 5 days for a total of 10 treatments. After treatments are completed, the MammoSite or Savi device is deflated and removed. Not all breast patients are candidates for Partial Breast Irradiation. Your Radiation Oncologist along with your surgeon will determine what treatment is best suited for you.
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Stereotactic Radiosurgery
Stereotactic radiosurgery at Joliet Radiation Oncology uses Brainlab's M3 mini-multileaf collimator with Brain Scan. This is an advanced cancer treatment system used in planning and treatment delivery. It delivers precise doses of radiation to brain tumors. Brain Scan allows the radiation oncologist to reconstruct the three-dimensional structure of a tumor from CT or MRI images. The model is then used to design a treatment plan that optimizes the radiation dose distribution while avoiding healthy tissues. Despite its name, Stereotactic radiosurgery is a non-invasive, non-surgical procedure and is performed on an outpatient basis, thereby eliminating many of the complications and substantial recovery times associated with open surgery. Joliet Radiation Oncology was the first in the area to offer this cutting edge technology.
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Prostate Seed Implants
Prostate brachytherapy, the placement of tiny radioactive seeds in the prostate gland, is the fastest growing method of treating early-stage prostate cancer in the United States. In fact, nearly half of all men now choose this treatment over radical prostatectomy (surgical removal of the prostate gland) or external beam radiation.
As the first Cancer Center to offer prostate brachytherapy in the region, Joliet Radiation Oncology at Silver Cross Hospital has been at the forefront of this trend since 1998.
“The goal is to kill cancer cells with radiation while preserving healthy tissue, ” explains Salwa Asaad, M.D., board-certified radiation oncologist at Silver Cross, one of the Top 100 Hospitals in the nation. “The tiny radioactive seeds (about the size of rice grains) are implanted in a way that targets the tumor and minimizes the overall area exposed to radiation. ”
Radioactive Iodine-125 or Palladium-103 is encased in small, metal seeds which are one-fifth of an inch long, as thin as pencil lead, and easily seen on X-rays. The seeds are embedded in the prostate providing high doses of radiation inside the gland. Each seed emits an intense amount of radiation, but only to an area about the size of a small marble. One year after implantation, the radioactivity is virtually gone.
Typically, 70 to 150 seeds are inserted into the prostate gland, but the exact number depends on the actual size of the prostate gland at the time of the procedure.
Prostate brachytherapy is an attractive alternative for men whose cancer has not spread outside the prostate gland or for men whose poor health or age precludes radical prostatectomy. Brachytherapy also poses the lowest risk of impotence, an unfortunate side-effect more commonly seen in patients who undergo surgery.
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