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Mercy Radiation Oncology - Coletta
Experienced Radiation Oncologist Team
Our Oklahoma City radiation oncologists have years of research and experience and work closely with our Mercy team using the latest technology to ensure your radiation treatments are given with the highest level of precision and safety.
- Medical Physicists - perform quality assurance on treatment plans and equipment.
- Dosimetrists – perform treatment planning for radiation treatments.
- Radiation Oncology Nurses – care for the patients while under treatment and for follow-up visits.
- Oncology Scheduler – schedules all clinic appointments for patients and works in coordination with medical staff.
- Radiation Therapist – provides radiation treatments.
- Benefits Counselor – supports patients in understanding insurance and explains benefits to the patients.
- Gamma Knife Patient Care Coordinator – coordinates the entire treatment process and patient care. They also organize the radiosurgery conference which is a multidisciplinary conference with neurosurgery and other specialties.
What is Radiation Therapy?
Radiation therapy uses targeted energy (e.g., X-rays, radioactive substances) to destroy cancer cells, shrink tumors, and/or alleviate certain cancer-related symptoms. It may be used:
- As a primary treatment to destroy cancer cells
- In combination with other treatments to stop the growth of cancer cells and tumors
- Before another treatment to shrink a tumor
- After another treatment to stop the growth of any remaining cancer cells
- To relieve symptoms of advanced cancer
Types of Radiation Therapy
Internal Radiation Therapy
Internal radiation therapy can be provided using low dose rate (LDR) or high dose rate (HDR) techniques. Radioactive material is placed (via a catheter or other carrier) directly into or near a tumor. This allows for a very precise and targeted treatment to only the affected area, thereby sparing nearby normal tissues and ultimately having fewer side effects. Examples of cancers that can be treated with high dose brachytherapy include prostate cancer, lung cancer, gynecologic cancers, skin cancer and breast cancer.
Partial breast radiation using either the SAVI device or multicatheter brachytherapy is a treatment option for women with early-stage breast cancer. Our radiation oncology team in is the only one in the state that offers both of these treatment options. This treatment is given over 5 days and has fewer side effects than standard radiation. Mercy is the only cancer center in Oklahoma that offers both of these therapies.
External-Beam Radiation Therapy
External-beam radiation therapy is directed from a machine outside the body into cancerous cells within the body. There are several types of external radiation therapy:
- Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR)
SABR is a specialized form of radiation that delivers a higher dose of radiation using sub-millimeter precision in 1-5 treatments. It's a treatment option for early-stage lung cancer with much higher effectiveness than standard radiation. - Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)
SRS is a proven, non-invasive radiotherapy technique used as an alternative to traditional brain surgery. It can be given in a single outpatient treatment using the Gamma Knife® without the post-operative recovery that accompanies standard surgery.
- Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT)
IMRT allows for superior targeting of tumors with more sparing of normal tissue. Our TrueBeam linear accelerator utilizes 3D imaging to ensure accurate alignment of the radiation beams throughout the course of treatment.
- Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT)
- 3D Conformal Radiation Therapy
HDR Brachytherapy for Skin Cancer
Skin HDR, also known as Skin HDR Brachytherapy, is a radiotherapy treatment technique. It’s an effective alternative for patients whose skin cancer can’t be removed surgically due to the location or position of the cancer. Patients with basal cell or squamous cell skin cancers qualify for this procedure.
Patients receive either eight treatments (two times a week for four weeks) or 16 (four times a week for four weeks), depending on the need.
Benefits include:
- Minimal scarring
- Minimal radiation side effects
- Rapid and complete functional recovery due to the reduction in normal tissue injury
- Shorter overall treatment times
- High success rate (cure rate of 95-98% (non-melanoma skin cancer)
