Thousands of people coping with cancer each year receive radiation therapy. Used alone or in combination with other treatments like chemotherapy and surgery, radiation can kill cancer cells and help beat the disease.

At Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, we see radiation as part of the big picture. For many patients, radiation is a critical piece of their treatment plan. However, each patient has different needs, so we offer a variety of options, from intensity-modulated radiation therapy to radioactive implants to radiosurgery. Many of these treatments are not widely available. That’s why Rush is regarded as a leader in radiation therapy in the Chicago area.

At Rush, skilled radiation oncologists provide consultation, treatment and follow-up care for patients with cancer and other conditions. Standard techniques are available, including external beam radiation and internal radiation therapy (also known as brachytherapy). Beyond that, Rush offers several advanced radiation therapies, including:

• TomoTherapy image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT):
  TomoTherapy addresses two important aspects of cancer treatment simultaneously with one device: confirming the exact location of a tumor during each treatment session and then delivering treatment. The TomoTherapy Hi-art System combines 3-D imagine from computerized tomography (CT scanning) with precisely targeted radiation beams. Because of the remarkable accuracy of the system, it is possible to direct a high dose of radiation at a tumor with a lower risk of affecting surrounding tissues and organs. The treatment is being used at Rush to treat prostate cancer, head and neck cancer, brain cancer, and sarcomas.
• Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy: Using CT or MRI scans, doctors can visualize tumors better than with standard radiation. With this picture, they can shape and mold multiple beams of radiation to fit the size and shape of a tumor—and treat tumors with pinpoint accuracy.
• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): This state-of-the-art treatment allows doctors to fine-tune radiation doses to target tumors and spare more healthy tissue.
• Brachytherapy: Doctors implant radioactive “seeds” near the cancer site to deliver treatment directly to the tumor. At Rush, we perform a variety of such procedures, including breast and prostate brachytherapy. We also can provide this treatment for some people with gynecological cancers, head and neck tumors, brain tumors and soft tissue sarcomas.
• Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS): This highly specialized treatment delivers narrow beams of high-dose radiation to a specific site, while minimizing radiation to the surrounding normal tissue. It is effective in treating brain tumors, some head and neck tumors, and abnormal blood vessels in the brain.
• Total skin electron irradiation (TSEI): This complex treatment for select types of skin cancers, such as mycosis fungoides, can deliver radiation to the entire skin surface—but spare the organs underneath.
• Total body irradiation (TBI), or whole-body radiation: This treatment may be combined with stem cell or bone marrow transplant for cancers that are spread throughout the body, such as some types of leukemia and lymphoma.
• Intracoronary radiation or endovascular brachytherapy: This treatment for heart disease helps people who have had stents placed in their arteries but whose arteries have narrowed again. Small, targeted doses of radiation can treat this re-narrowing and open up the arteries again.

Ross A. Abrams, MD, is chairperson of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The compassionate, dedicated radiation oncologists at Rush have extensive training in all aspects of radiation therapy.

Our team works closely with patients’ physicians to develop and deliver the best treatments. But at Rush, we believe care doesn’t end after treatment. Education is a top priority. For example, our cancer care team provides oral health education to patients with head and neck cancer. We also provide a detailed skin care education program to help patients minimize side effects and maintain the highest quality of life possible.

For profiles of physicians specializing in radiation oncology and related areas at Rush, see the link for “Find a Doctor,” at left.