Radiation therapy is the use of radiation to kill cancer cells. Radiation interrupts the ability of cells to divide and kills the cell. Cancer cells are normally more sensitive to radiation than healthy cells so fewer healthy cells are damaged during the process. Healthy cells cannot typically tolerate large doses of radiation, however, so treatments are normally spread out over 5-8 weeks. This provides enough radiation to kill the cancer cells but allows enough time for healthy cells to recover from the radiation.
The Willis-Knighton Advantage
Willis-Knighton Health System’s department of Radiation Oncology is one of the nation’s leading centers for radiation therapy. As one of a handful of radiation oncology departments nationwide to receive accreditation from both the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO), the expertise at Willis-Knighton is unparalleled. The department of Radiation Oncology provides services that other local centers simply cannot offer:
- Board Certified Medical Physicists
- Proton Therapy
- TomoTherapy
- Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)
- Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT)
- Y-90 Brachytherapy
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