AOA offers several types of therapies and procedures, including:

• External Radiation:
• Superficial radiation treatment
• Electron beam therapy
• Three-dimensional conformal therapy
• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
• Internal radiation:
• Intra-cavitary treatments, including gynecological and endobronchial as well as other sites
• Interstitial internal radiation, utilizing:
• Low dose rate permanent implants
• High dose rate temporary implants
• Stereotactic Radiosurgery of brain tumors

The Two Types of Radiation

External Radiation—here the source of radiation is outside the body and is directed at tumors at any depth

Internal Radiation—a radiation source is either permanently or temporarily paced inside a body cavity or tissue

How Does Radiation Work?

Radiation works by damaging cells and disrupting the chemical composition of human tissue. One of the primary reasons for its effectiveness is that normal tissue has the ability to recover from that damage better than malignant tissue does. Also, certain malignant cells are more sensitive to radiation than normal cells. Radiation is a local treatment that affects cells within the area or volume treated. Though certain normal tissue may be particularly sensitive to radiation (such as hair follicles and reproductive organs), most normal cells survive and recover from the damaging effects of treatment.

What is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is a method of damaging and/or killing malignancy with the use of drugs and related medication. Understanding what chemotherapy does and when and how it is administered will lessen the anxiety about starting your treatments. Your oncologist will determine your personal course of treatment and discuss it with you. Chemotherapy may be used alone or in combination with radiation therapy and/or surgery.