Man talks to his doctor; urologists at Ascension sites of care deliver personalized care for prostate cancer.

Radiation oncology in Baltimore

Radiation oncologists at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital Cancer Institute in Baltimore, MD, deliver radiosurgery and radiation therapy to treat cancer.

Radiation therapy care teams at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital Cancer Institute provide advanced radiosurgery and radiation therapy to help treat cancer. We deliver radiation therapy with precision–that means at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital Cancer Institute, we use advanced technology with image-guidance systems to help target cancer cells.

Your care plan may include radiation therapy to help:

  • Deliver precise doses of radiation to breakdown the cancer cells.
  • Control the growth and spread of cancer.
  • Relieve symptoms, such as pain.
The radiation oncology department at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital and Cancer Institute is accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR).

Benefits of radiation therapy for cancer treatment

Radiation therapy is personalized for the type and stage of cancer you have. During your appointments, your care team focuses on your physical and emotional health to help make you as comfortable as possible. And between therapy sessions, we’re here to answer your questions and help you manage side effects.

Other benefits of radiation oncology may include:

  • Ability to continue medication therapy at the same time
  • Outpatient treatments — each session typically takes less than an hour
  • Ultra-focused radiation exposure to the cancer cells, not surrounding healthy tissue

Cancer support programs and services

You will have a patient coordinator as part of your care team. They can connect you with other support services, such as emotional and spiritual support, social workers, palliative care specialists, nutritionists, rehabilitation specialists, financial assistance advisors, support groups and more.

Advanced radiation cancer care

We offer many types of advanced radiotherapy and radiosurgery treatments using innovative systems from planning to treatment. At Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital Cancer Institute, we provide many types of radiation therapy, including:

  • Brachytherapy

    Brachytherapy, a type of internal radiation therapy that allows cancer cells to be treated through direct contact. Treatment devices are temporarily inserted near or on the target tissue or organ, such as the breast, vagina, uterus, prostate or skin. For example, high-dose-rate brachytherapy for skin cancer is delivered using an individually molded flap and catheter system placed directly on the tumor.

  • External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)

    External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) with image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), which helps your doctor pinpoint a tumor and adjust for any movement seen during breathing or treatment.

  • Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT)

    Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT), also called stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) or stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), which is a type of photon external beam radiation that delivers a high dose of ionizing radiation to a well-defined tumor in the brain or body. This type of radiation therapy is delivered in one to five treatments, depending on the type of tumor and its location. And it is designed to help protect surrounding healthy tissue from radiation exposure.

  • TomoTherapy®

    TomoTherapy®, which is photon radiation therapy delivered by a special linear accelerator that can rotate 360 degrees around your body. Using the latest technology, radiation oncologists deliver a precise dose of radiation. TomoTherapy expands our treatment options for brain and other cancers in high-risk areas.

How radiation oncology, chemotherapy, and surgery work together for you

Your cancer care team at Ascension Saint Agnes works together to help improve the effectiveness of radiation, chemotherapy and surgical treatments.

Radiosensitizers are drugs that help make tumor cells more sensitive to radiation. Combining radiation with radiosensitizers can help target more cancer cells.

Radioprotectors are medications that help protect healthy tissue from the effects of radiation.

Intraoperative radiation therapy is when radiation therapy is given during surgery. This approach may be helpful when vital organs are too close to the tumor. During your procedure, your surgeon shields an organ by moving it out of the way so radiation can be applied directly to the tumor. This allows your radiation oncologist to avoid exposing those organs to radiation. Intraoperative radiation can be given as external beam therapy or as brachytherapy.

Multispecialty cancer care teams and clinical trials

At Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital Cancer Institute, you have an entire team dedicated to your care. Radiation oncologists meet with medical oncologists, surgeons, cancer specialists, and oncology nurses regularly. We work together to review your care plan and monitor your progress. With these meetings, we work to help make sure your care plan is working well for you. Our multispecialty approach offers advanced cancer care close to home. If you are interested in participating in cancer care clinical trials, talk with your oncologist to discuss your options. If a clinical trial is right for you, we can help connect you to a cancer research coordinator.

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Cancer support programs and services

You will have a patient coordinator as part of your care team. They can connect you with other support services, such as emotional and spiritual support, social workers, palliative care specialists, nutritionists, rehabilitation specialists, financial assistance advisors, support groups and more.