Sentara Obici Hospital
Radiation Therapy
Receiving a cancer diagnosis often evokes feelings of fear and uncertainty. With that in mind, the health-care professionals in Sentara Obici’s Radiation Therapy Center take a patient-centered approach that focuses on healing and nurturing. As a comprehensive cancer care facility, Sentara Obici offers a full spectrum of services under one roof to help patients fight their disease. These services include external beam therapy, chemotherapy, stereotactic breast biopsy and lymphedema therapy. In addition, Sentara Obici is one of only a few Hampton Roads health care facilities to offer Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), and advanced form of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy that can create a precise radiation dose to the shape and depth of the tumor. IMRT also reduces adverse effects and damage to healthy tissues, leading to a better quality of life.
Cancer patients are referred to the Radiation Therapy Center by their physician. The first visit consists of a consultation with the radiation oncologist who determines if the patient will benefit from radiation treatments. At that point, a specialized treatment plan is developed utilizing a CT/Simulation and treatment planning with 3D conformal therapy or IMRT. The course of treatment lasts two to eight weeks, with 15-minute outpatient sessions scheduled Monday through Friday.
The Radiation Therapy Center’s team includes the radiation oncologist, radiation therapist, nurse, dosimetrist, office manager and medical physicist.
Judy was one of the first breast cancer patients to receive IMRT treatments at Sentara Obici. She says the staff’s knowledge and experience, coupled with their compassion, gave her complete confidence during her six-week treatment program.
“Everything about Obici is absolutely wonderful. Not only was the equipment state-of-the-art, but just as important was the support and encouragement I received from everyone in the RadiationTherapyCenter. It was like they had known me all of my life. It was just like a fine tuned engine. Everyone knew what they were supposed to do. I think I’ve made some lifetime friends there.”
For information, call (757) 934-4482.
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