Radiation Oncology
The Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology offers an innovative, multi-institutional program providing therapeutic services for approximately 2,000 new patients annually among its clinical practice sites. The radiation therapy equipment at the University of Chicago Hospitals includes state-of-the-art linear accelerators capable of delivering both photon and electron beams across a wide spectrum of energy levels. In addition, a cyclotron is also available for neutron beam therapy. The department offers a wide array of conventional as well as sophisticated radiation treatment techniques including:
- Interstitial brachytherapy of bladder tumors
- Intraoperative radiotherapy
- Isotope therapy using Strontium 89
- Stereotactic radiosurgery
- Total body irradiation
- Total skin electron therapy
The department also conducts numerous interdisciplinary clinical research protocols with medical and surgical oncology specialists in order to evaluate and measure treatment outcomes.
The department's medical physics faculty has developed advanced software applications to improve clinical efficacy of treatment planning methods. The faculty is a key collaborator with Siemens Medical Systems in the development of graphical, three-dimensional computer software for improved targetry of tumors, three-dimensional dose calculations, and methods for improving verification of radiation portals.
The research interests of department faculty include the development of isotope therapy, gene therapy, chemoprevention, the molecular biology of cancer, and the development of novel treatment planning techniques for precision radiotherapy. The overall clinical objective of the department is to develop new applications in biotechnology and treatment planning software that advances the radiotherapy treatment and cure of oncology patients.
