Radiation Oncology
Radiation therapy is used to treat cancer as well as offer relief from some of the symptoms of cancer. It may be used alone or in combination with surgery or chemotherapy.
Read more about various radiation oncology treatments below, or visit our main radiation oncology page for more information.
Advanced radiation therapies for breast cancer include:
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Intraoperative Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (Intra Beam)
Intraoperative Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (Intra Beam) is a complete system to deliver Intra-operative, or post-operative radiation therapy directly into tumors or tumor cavities. Sentara is participating in a national clinical trial.
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External Beam Radiation Therapy or IORT for Breast Cancer
This is a method for delivering a beam of high-energy X-rays to the location of the patient's tumor. These X-rays can destroy the cancer cells and careful treatment planning allows the surrounding normal tissues to be spared.
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Brachytherapy/Radioactive Seed Implant Therapy
Brachytherapy is a form of radiotherapy where a radioactive source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment. MammoSite® is a type of brachytherapy.