Specialized Therapies for Individualized Care

At Eastern Oregon Cancer Center, we design personalized radiation treatment plans using modern imaging, precise beam shaping, and advanced treatment techniques tailored to each patient’s diagnosis and goals.

What is radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy is a safe and effective method for treating a wide variety of cancers, using concentrated doses of radiation to kill off cancer cells while preserving more healthy tissue compared to other treatment options. When cancer cells are exposed to radiation, the genetic material inside the cells are damaged, which then eliminates the cells ability to reproduce. Since cancer cells do not have the natural ability to heal and rebuild themselves as healthy cells do, these cells eventually die off. While treatment does affect some surrounding healthy cells in the tissue, they will be able to regenerate after a short recovery period.

Techniques and technologies used at EOCC

There are different types of radiation therapy, which vary in terms of delivery method and sometimes effectiveness depending on the case. At Eastern Oregon Cancer Center, we work with our patients to create an individualized treatment plan, to ensure that we match them with the form of radiation therapy that best meets their needs.

External Beam Radiation Therapy

External beam radiation therapy delivers radiation from a machine outside the body to a precisely planned treatment area. It is the most common form of radiation therapy and is used for many different types of cancer.

Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)

IMRT is an advanced form of external beam radiation therapy that shapes the radiation dose more precisely to the tumor. This helps deliver effective treatment while reducing dose to nearby normal tissues, especially in more complex treatment areas.

Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)

IGRT uses imaging performed at the time of treatment to confirm positioning and improve accuracy. This is especially important when treating areas that can shift from day to day or move with normal body functions such as breathing or organ filling.

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)

SBRT delivers highly focused radiation to tumors in the body using a small number of high-precision treatments. It is commonly used for selected tumors in areas such as the lung, spine, liver, or prostate, and is designed to treat the target accurately while minimizing dose to surrounding tissue.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)

SRS is a highly precise form of radiation therapy used for carefully targeted treatment in the brain. Despite the name, it is a non-surgical treatment that delivers focused radiation with exceptional accuracy.

Surface-Guided Radiation Therapy (SGRT)

SGRT uses advanced camera technology to monitor a patient’s position in real time during treatment setup and delivery. This helps improve accuracy without adding additional radiation dose from imaging.

Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH)

For selected patients receiving left-sided breast radiation, DIBH can help reduce radiation exposure to the heart. This technique uses a controlled breath hold to gently move the heart farther from the treatment area during radiation delivery.