For patients facing a cancer diagnosis, having board certified physicians,
highly trained teammates and compassionate care within your community
can be comforting. Locally, Shannon provides a broad spectrum of cancer
treatment options to patients. Dr. James Studt, MD, Shannon Clinic radiation
oncologist, serves as medical director of radiation therapy and ensures
safe, high quality radiation therapy is available for the Concho Valley
and beyond.
What Is Radiation Oncology?
Radiation oncology is a form of cancer treatment that uses with high-energy
x-rays (radiation). Roughly half of the patients diagnosed with cancer
receive some form of radiation therapy, which is a form of localized treatment
and can be used as a standalone treatment or in conjunction with other
modalities such as chemotherapy and surgery.
Various treatments are offered to target specific types of cancer, including:
Breast
Lung
Head
Neck
Gynecologic
Skin
Lymphomas
Prostate
Colorectal
Metastatic Diseases
Treatment options include:
3D CRT (Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy}
Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy is a valuable asset at Shannon.
A treatment planning CT scan is performed in the treatment position and,
using the treatment planning computer, the radiation therapy fields are
designed by our highly skilled treatment planning team. This accurate
form of cancer treatment allows the radiation oncologist to deliver therapeutic
doses of radiation to tumors, achieving desired treatment goals outlined
in consultation.
For select cases, IMRT allows higher doses of radiation to be delivered
directly to tumors and cancer cells while protecting healthy adjacent
organs and tissues. IMRT with IGRT can often maximize the therapeutic
dose to tumors by taking advantage of on-board image guidance to ensure
the highest level of precision available every treatment. IGRT gives the
ability to track the tumor during treatment even if it shifts as a result
of breathing or movement of the bladder and bowels. By sparing healthy
tissue using image guidance, treatment toxicities and side effects can
be minimized.
SBRT (Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy)
SBRT is a treatment procedure similar to stereotactic radiosurgery, except
often delivered over 2 to 5 treatment sessions versus a single fraction.
It targets the exact location of the tumor using low dose on-board CT
scans and image guidance to line up the target and delivers high-dose
radiation treatment utilizing millimeter scale precision. SBRT is not
available for all cancers, and you should speak with your physician to
determine if you would benefit from SBRT or standard radiation therapy
techniques.
SRS (Stereotactic Radiosurgery)
SRS is radiation treatment of a central nervous system tumor that is applied
in a single session with a high dose of radiation. Cranial SBRT is similar
to SRS, but it is applied in up to five treatments. These methods allow
delivery of a high dose of radiation to the tumor or tumors with a significantly
lower dose to surrounding brain tissue. This results in the ability to
control the disease with reduced side effects. SRS and Cranial SBRT can
be used to treat malignant or benign tumors as well as other conditions
such as trigeminal neuralgia.
HyperArc
HyperArc treatments allow the ability to deliver more compact radiation
doses that closely conform to the size, shape, and location of tumors
while sparing more surrounding healthy tissue. These advanced treatments
can be delivered in the same amount of time as other types of treatments.
HyperArc is designed to make it possible to easily target and eradicate
isolated brain metastases and eliminate with whole brain radiation.
HyperArc technology can target multiple tumors at the same time without
repositioning the patient. As a result, more metastatic brain cancer patients
are now eligible for treatment than before. Frameless radiosurgery offers
you a more comfortable and non-invasive alternative to other radiosurgery
systems which require immobilization with a head ring that attaches to
the skull.
Highly Trained Support Staff
The technology available at the center is unique and advanced for its size.
The center's highly trained support staff, including a chief therapist,
medical physicist, and dosimetrists, work together to determine the treatment
plan for each patient. Another unique service patients receive is physician-provided
care with one-on-one consults. Each patient is followed by Dr. Studt throughout
the entirety of their treatment.
"It's important to offer these radiation therapy services locally
because patients are able to stay in the comfort of their home with their
family and receive the same quality of care," Dr. Studt said. "For
example, we have all the technology available locally for the external
treatment of breast cancer. It is not necessary for the majority of patients
to leave town to receive radiation treatment."
Shannon Oncology Center is the only radiation therapy center in West Texas
accredited by the American College of Radiology.
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