Overview

Overview

The Department of Radiation Oncology at Cleveland Clinic treats more patients than any other cancer center in Ohio and is nationally recognized as a leader in patient care, research and education. 

Cleveland Clinic is recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Our radiation oncologists and entire cancer care team at the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center provide:

  • High-quality, experienced compassionate multidisciplinary care from a team of experts that consists of Radiation Oncology Physicians, Medical Physicists, Advanced Practice Nurses, Registered Nurses, Medical Dosimetrists, Radiation Therapists, Coordinators, Administrative Assistants, Patient Financial Advocates, Research Nurses, Social Workers, Registered Dietitians, and Patient Service Specialists.
  • Personalized treatment plans that consider our patient’s health, age, cancer type and ability to tolerate potential side effects.
  • Leading-edge technology that delivers radiation with maximum precision, reducing treatment time.
  • Treatment options for the full range of cancer types including: Brachytherapy, Radiosurgery, Hyperthermia, Image Guidance, Intraoperative, Intravascular, Eye Plaque, Gamma Knife, TheraSphere, and Total Body Irradiation.
  • Access to more than 200 innovative clinical trials.

Radiation Oncology is available at many convenient Cleveland Clinic locations throughout Northern Ohio and in the Florida area.

Doctors

Doctors

Meet Our Team

Meet Our Team

Along with radiation oncologists, our department is comprised of several other team members that directly or indirectly assist our patients throughout his or her cancer treatment.

Radiation Therapists

The radiation therapist is an integral part of the cancer treatment team. The therapist administers and records targeted doses of prescribed radiation. The radiation therapists are compassionate professionals educated in physics, radiation safety, human anatomy and patient care.

Nursing

Delivering compassionate care to patients and their families is the primary focus of the nurses in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Cleveland Clinic.

We strive to provide excellent nursing care to:

  • Maximize health
  • Enhance quality of life 
  • Relieve suffering
  • Provide education and support to patients and their families

Promoting an environment that respects diversity, enhances quality of life and preserves human dignity, radiation oncology nurses collaborate with other professionals involved in patient care, including doctors, nurse practitioners, dietitians and social workers.

Nurse Practitioners

You may work with Nurse Practitioners (NPs) during your radiation treatments.  If so NPs play an active role in your treatment by collaborating with your physician to perform physical exams, review your treatment and follow laboratory and radiology results

Medical Physicists

A Medical Physicist assures the safe and effective use of radiation in medicine. A Medical Physicist oversees the scientific and technical requirements of a radiation oncology department including equipment performance evaluation and quality and safety of radiation operations. At Cleveland Clinic our Medical Physicists are either Qualified Medical Physicists (QMP) or board eligible medical physicists. All Medical Physicists hold a master or doctorate degree in physics, medical physics, engineering, or applied mathematics. The QMP physicists are certified by the American Board of Radiology, American Board of Medical Physics in Radiation Oncology Physics, or the Canadian College of Medical Physics. Board eligible Medical Physicists are in the process of obtaining their board certification and have completed two years of a medical physics residency.

Medical Dosimetrists

Cleveland Clinic's medical dosimetrists have the education and expertise necessary to generate optimal radiation dose distributions in collaboration with medical physicists and radiation oncologists. Our medical dosimetrists work with computers to design a patients treatment plan to deliver a prescribed radiation dose to the intended targets.   When designing a plan, a dosimetrist must consider the nearby normal structures that should be avoided such as the lens of the eye, the spinal cord, lungs, or the heart.

Our certified dosimetrists are members of Cleveland Clinic's nationally recognized Department of Radiation Oncology and can provide remote dosimetry planning to meet short- and long-term staffing needs of cancer centers across the nation. Image and data transfers are made via a secured FTP portal between your institution and Cleveland Clinic.

Special Procedure Group

The special procedures team consists of Radiation Therapists that have advanced training in the delivery of internal radiation therapy. Such special procedures include intracavitary implants, interstitial implants, ocular implants, hyperthermia, and prostate seed brachytherapy.

Research

The Radiation Oncology research team has the responsibility of oversight of numerous clinical research trials.  The research team is comprised of the biostatistician, a data coordinator, regulatory coordinators, a research nurse, and a research supervisor. Our current Radiation Oncology clinical research trials are available online.

Coordinators

Radiation Oncology coordinators are administrative support representatives who assist the team by organizing a variety of clinical programs and events in the department of Radiation Oncology.  Our coordinators work collaboratively with both internal and external clientele.

Patient Service Representatives

Patient Service Representatives provide our Radiation Oncology patients with excellent customer support. This group of trained individuals work with the patients to schedule a variety of complex appointments over the duration of their treatment. Additionally, they check patients in for treatments, offer support and provide information concerning financial clearance. Dedicated to patient satisfaction, our Patient Service Representatives strive for excellence to meet the needs of our diverse patient population.

Administrative Assistants

Administrative Assistants perform a variety of administrative and clerical duties to help support your team.  These duties include: answering phone calls, handling and preparing correspondence, and keeping accurate and up-to-date schedules.

What We Treat

What We Treat

Bladder

Radiotherapy is a treatment that uses X-rays to kill cancer cells. It is usually delivered from the outside of the body, also known as external beam radiotherapy or EBRT. EBRT is routinely performed as an outpatient treatment and is usually given daily, with each session lasting for approximately 20-25 minutes, for a period of 4 to 6 weeks. Radiotherapy can be delivered in various locations across the Cleveland Clinic to ensure the best quality and most convenient care.

Radiation combined with chemotherapy and trans-urethral resection of the tumor (TURBT) can be used as an alternative to the surgical removal of the bladder for some patients with invasive bladder cancer. Radiotherapy is typically given with weekly low dose, or radiosensitizing, chemotherapy which enhances the tumor killing effect of the radiation. For select patients with bladder cancer this approach can be used as the alternative to radical cystectomy with equivalent long-term outcomes and improved urinary and sexual quality of life. However this approach is not right for everyone and at Cleveland Clinic you will be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team focused on identifying an optimal treatment strategy for you.

Brain Tumors

Brain tumors require a multifaceted approach to identify the best treatment course. Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Radiation Oncology works closely with the Rose Ella Burkardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-oncology Center to offer the most advanced state-of-the-art treatment for brain tumors and other central nervous system conditions. Modern sophisticated technologies allow for better sparing of structures in the brain which minimize neurocognitive side effects and other side effects of radiation. Such advanced technologies even allow us to safely retreat tumors in select patients. Research is a core-component of the multi-disciplinary brain and spine tumor team and every patient is screened for their eligibility for available clinical trials.

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) delivers highly focused radiation for certain benign and malignant brain tumors and functional disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia. Our stereotactic radiosurgery program at Cleveland Clinic began in 1989. In 1997 we obtained the first Gamma Knife in Ohio. Due to the success of our robust SRS program Cleveland Clinic is a world-class training site for advanced cranial stereotactic radiosurgery. In the latest iteration, the Gamma Knife Icon, allows for multi-session stereotactic radiosurgery which further expands the use of SRS for tumors previously thought too difficult to treat with single session radiosurgery. In select cases SRS can be used to treat spine tumors as an alternative to surgery.

At Cleveland Clinic we utilize our clinical expertise coupled with advanced technology and sophisticated planning techniques to deliver a state of the art treatment plan tailored to the individual patient.

Breast

Breast Cancer is one of the most common types of cancers diagnosed in women every year. At Cleveland Clinic we treat several hundreds of new breast cancer patients every year as part of a multidisciplinary approach. A central goal of our breast radiotherapy program lies in improving outcomes and reducing side effects. We have developed a cardiac sparing breast program that uses our clinical expertise coupled with advanced technology and treatment planning to minimize dose to the heart and lungs during treatment. Our innovative breast cancer radiation program leads the field in embracing modern radiotherapy techniques for whole breast, partial breast, and intraoperative breast radiotherapies. Every patient is different and our breast cancer patients are ensured an individualized breast radiotherapy plan developed by an expert radiation oncology utilizing advanced technologies, computer software, and treatment planning tailored to their specific anatomy.

Colorectal

The Cleveland Clinic Department of Radiation Oncology works in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic Colorectal Surgery and Medical Oncology Departments to deliver world class care for patients with colorectal and anal cancers. With our multi-disciplinary clinics and tumor board, we are able to determine the best possible treatment plans for patients (and with patients) and work together to implement those plans seamlessly. Treatment courses often encompass a combination of surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy that are individually tailored for each patient and can be delivered in various locations across the Cleveland Clinic to ensure the best quality and most convenient care.

Radiation services offered by the Cleveland Clinic include: external beam radiation therapy using state of the art linear accelerator technology and planning systems and intraoperative radiotherapy for select patients. All of our physicians are fully board-certified by the American Board of Radiology.

We offer radiation therapy in the following settings:

  1. Curative therapy for anal cancers
  2. Curative therapy for colorectal cancers
    1. Preoperative short course radiation (5-day) or long course chemo-radiation (5-6 weeks) for locally advanced rectal cancers, all dependent on a patients specific factors
    2. Total neoadjuvant therapy whereby a patient receives all of their radiation and chemotherapy before surgery
    3. Watchful waiting or non-operative management: a potential treatment option for select patients who have a complete response defined as resolution of tumor on MRI AND endoscopy after radiation and chemotherapy, where surgery can possibly be omitted from the overall treatment approach. These patients follow a closer surveillance protocol if they opt for the watchful waiting approach.
    4. Post-operative radiation or chemoradiotherapy for patients with specific risk factors found after surgery in those who did not receive pre-operative treatment
  3. Intraoperative radiation therapy for patients with tumors concerning for close/positive margins at the time of surgery
  4. Re-irradiation or repeat radiation treatment to the pelvis for recurrent tumors when a patient has already had previous pelvic radiation therapy
  5. Stereotactic body radiation therapy for oligometastatic (low-volume metastatic disease) in the liver, lungs, lymph nodes, or other locations
  6. Palliative or symptomatic radiotherapy for anal and colorectal cancers that are causing pain, bleeding, obstruction, or other symptoms

In addition, we have a number of complementary programs and partnerships to help patients through their cancer and survivorship journeys. We have social workers who provide support and can help assist with support services, including housing and transportation during treatment. The Taussig Cancer Institute also offers massage therapy, reiki therapy, facials, and wig services to patients undergoing treatment. We work closely with the Women’s Health Institute to provide fertility and hormone sparing options prior to treatment and longitudinal care for patients with treatment-induced menopausal and sexual changes/symptoms after treatment. Please contact us to learn more about how we can help you or your loved one.

Esophagus

Radiation therapy plays a vital role in the treatment of esophageal cancer. At Cleveland Clinic our expert radiation oncologists work as part of the multidisciplinary team including surgeons, gastroenterologists, medical oncologists, and dietitians - all focused on navigating patients through the treatment options to their optimized and individualized regimen.

Optimal treatment is dependent on many factors, including the type, stage, and an individual's overall health. Radiation therapy, typically combined with chemotherapy, is often used before surgery to help improve cure rates. For those patients for whom surgery is not recommended, radiation with or without chemotherapy can be used for a curative approach. Radiation therapy alone may be used to decrease symptoms from esophageal cancer in patients with more advanced disease. All patients are screened for their eligibility for available clinical trials which may offer access to new treatment strategies. At Cleveland Clinic we utilize our clinical expertise coupled with advanced technology and sophisticated planning techniques to deliver a state of the art treatment plan tailored to the individual patient.

Gynecological

The Cleveland Clinic Department of Radiation Oncology works in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic Gynecologic Oncology Department to deliver world class care for a wide range of gynecologic cancers, including cervical, endometrial, vaginal, vulvar, ovarian, and even rare cancers. With our multi-disciplinary clinics and tumor board, we are able to determine the best possible treatment plans for patients and work together to implement those plans as seamlessly as possible. Treatment plans often encompass a combination of surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy that can be delivered in various locations across the Cleveland Clinic to ensure the best quality and most convenient care.

Radiation services offered by the Cleveland Clinic include: external beam radiation therapy using state of the art linear accelerator technology and planning systems, intraoperative radiation therapy, and internal radiation treatments known as brachytherapy. Several members of our clinical staff have special expertise in gynecologic oncology brachytherapy and all our physicians are fully board-certified/eligible by the American Board of Radiology.

The Cleveland Clinic Department of Radiation Oncology maintains one of the most active brachytherapy programs in the country, and gynecologic malignancies represent a major clinical focus for this program. Over one hundred brachytherapy applications are performed each year for gynecologic tumors of various stages. Cleveland Clinic offers high dose-rate "HDR" brachytherapy which involves a computer-assisted gear-driven piston assembly that can march a high-activity radioactive source through a series of carefully planned treatment positions via catheters implanted within and around a tumor target. This automated sequence is performed under physician and physicist guidance in the specially shielded suite within the department. We offer intracavitary brachytherapy procedures such as vaginal cylinders, tandem & ring/tandem and ovids, and also have a robust interstitial brachytherapy program that allows us to treat locally advanced cancers that would otherwise not be amenable to standard intracavitary brachytherapy approaches.

In addition, we have a number of complementary programs and partnerships to help patients through their cancer and survivorship journeys. We have social workers who provide support and can help assist with support services, including housing and transportation during treatment. The Taussig Cancer Institute also offers massage therapy, reiki therapy, facials, and wig services to patients undergoing treatment. We work closely with the Women’s Health Institute to provide fertility and hormone sparing options prior to treatment and longitudinal care for patients with treatment-induced menopausal and sexual changes/symptoms after treatment. Please contact us to learn more about how we can help you or your loved one.

Head & Neck

Cancers of the head and neck are highly treatable using radiation therapy. For early stage tumors of many sites, radiotherapy offers an equally efficacious and generally less toxic alternative to radical surgery. For more advanced tumors, pre-operative or post-operative radiotherapy is often combined with conservative surgery by our cancer specialists to allow effective tumor control without severely disfiguring or dysfunctional treatment consequences.

Cleveland Clinic is currently investigating the use of combined chemo-radiotherapy for many upper aerodigestive tract tumors. This multimodality approach taken by our cancer specialists may allow organ preservation even in cases where critical structures near the larynx are densely invaded by the tumor. Close clinical coordination among the specialists--the medical oncologist, the radiation oncologist, and the surgeon--is essential to the successful implementation of this program. Direct extramural referrals from Cleveland area medical oncologists and ENT surgeons are welcome.

Our department of Radiation Oncology and our cancer specialists are constantly evaluating the clinical outcomes of its treatment programs in order to optimize patient care. The departmental data for the control of early stage vocal cord cancers was recently presented at a professional meeting, and the data confirmed a 3-year local control rate of over 90% for the entire group. For those patients with highly localized tumors, the control rate was 100%. Additionally, the highly individualized treatment plans employed by our cancer specialists for these lateralized tumors result in significantly less soft-tissue edema and skin necrosis compared with patients treated using other radiotherapy techniques.

Advanced technologies are now available for optimizing management, such as the incorporation of IMRT and other means of limiting side-effects of treatment and increasing cure rates.

Lung Radiotherapy

Radiation therapy/radiotherapy (also called X-ray treatment) is a type of cancer treatment that kills cancer cells and by doing this, can shrink a tumor/lesion. Using special equipment such as a linear accelerator, high energy X-rays are aimed at a tumor/lesion, or to areas of the body where there are cancer cells. Radiation therapy damages cells by destroying the genetic material (DNA) which controls how cells grow and divide (reproduce). Normal cells in the body grow, divide, and die in an orderly fashion. When DNA in a normal healthy cell is damaged it can usually repair itself; if the cell is unable to repair the damage it dies. Cancer cells grow and reproduce but instead of dying, they continue to make new abnormal cells. Tumors or lesions develop when the abnormal cells grow out of control.

External beam radiation therapy involves a machine called a linear accelerator (Linac) which makes the X-rays used for treating cancer. The Linac aims X-rays into the body at the cancer. Although the radiation is aimed at the cancer, it must pass through skin and other parts of the body to reach the tumor. Since some healthy cells are exposed to the radiation, they may become damaged. The body however, is able to repair the healthy cells that have been damaged most of the time and restore them to their proper function. When healthy cells are changed by radiation, this is what leads to radiation side effects.

Radiotherapy plays a key role in managing all the stages of lung cancer. For patients with a diagnosis of lung cancer, their treatment needs will depend on the extent of their disease. These could range from being offered potential cure to primarily providing symptom relief in advanced disease. The role of lung radiotherapy for an individual patient would therefore be determined after consultation with a Cleveland Clinic Radiation Oncologist, a specialist in the use of radiation to treat cancer. This consultation often will occur in the setting of a multidisciplinary thoracic oncology team review involving other pulmonary specialties, such as medical oncologists, thoracic surgeons and pulmonologists (pulmonary medicine specialists).

For each lung cancer patient, the goal in Radiation Oncology is to offer optimal, individualized medical care in the context of high-level, technological expertise. For example computerized tomography (CT-scan)-based, three-dimensional treatment planning; intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT); and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) are among the tools available to the specialists at Cleveland Clinic. With these approaches, individualized treatment plans can be developed with the goals of minimizing the amount of normal body tissue receiving radiotherapy while maximizing the treatment of lung cancer.

Depending on the case, lung radiotherapy may be used alone, or combined with other treatments such chemotherapy. In some cases, lung radiotherapy may have a role before or after lung cancer surgery. In patient with incurable cancer, lung radiotherapy is often used to relieve symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing up blood, or pain.

As noted above, lung radiotherapy may affect normal as well as cancerous cells. Side effects of radiation therapy depend mainly on the part of the body that is treated and the treatment dose. Common side effects of lung radiotherapy are related to the organs in the chest it might touch such as the esophagus, the skin, and the lung. Patients undergoing lung radiotherapy might notice that they gradually develop a dry, sore throat; difficulty swallowing; fatigue; skin changes at the site of treatment; and loss of appetite.

The role of radiotherapy in managing lung cancer continues to evolve and this has happened especially in the last decade. A new form of treatment is called stereotactic body radiotherapy, also known as lung radiosurgery. It is a form of specialized radiotherapy that involves delivering very high dose of radiation extremely precisely to a small tumor in the lung. It now is being used to replace surgery especially in those patients who may not be suitable for surgery. It is very effective at getting rid of the cancer while at the same time being extremely safe for most patients since it generally causes very few side effects.

Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a broad group of cancers that start in the lymph nodes. Radiation therapy has historically played and continues to play a vital role in the optimal management of many lymphomas. At Cleveland Clinic our lymphoma radiation oncologists work as part of the multidisciplinary lymphoma team to provide patients diagnosed with lymphoma individualized and custom radiation treatment plans.

Our radiation oncology team at Cleveland Clinic work to use new technologies and techniques to improve outcomes and reduce the risks of short-term and long-term side effects. Armed with modern data we have been able to reduce the amount of tissue targeted for radiotherapy and we utilize advanced radiation planning and treatment techniques to reduce the dose of radiation given to normal tissues including the heart, lungs, and other critical structures. Real time image guidance ensures accuracy.

The radiation oncologists at the Cleveland Clinic are accustomed to working closely with medical oncologists both at the Cleveland Clinic and elsewhere in the medical community. This "team approach" assures a seamless multidisciplinary approach for the optimal management of lymphoma.

Ocular Melanoma

Ocular melanomas are rare tumors of the eye and they requires special expertise and interdisciplinary cooperation to treat if vision is to be preserved. This treatment may include radiotherapy in the form of a temporary custom made radioactive implant, called a plaque. This type of radiation is called brachytherapy. Cleveland Clinic participates in national protocols sponsored by the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study.

Pediatric Cancer

The care of the pediatric cancer patient requires special clinical coordination and interpersonal skills, and often requires a comprehensive radiotherapy program that can offer a range of treatment options including intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), volumetric arc therapy (VMAT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), and brachytherapy. The Cleveland Clinic Department of Radiation Oncology is well equipped to handle all such cases of pediatric cancer, including those requiring daily anesthesia during the period of treatment. The state of the art Cleveland Clinic Children's outpatient building ensures that a full range of ancillary pediatric specialists and pediatric cancer support programs are available to supplement radiotherapy treatments.

Prostate

There are several treatment options for men with prostate cancer, such as external beam radiation, brachytherapy (also known as prostate seed implants), and surgical removal of the prostate. The selection of which approach is right for each patient should involve a discussion with both a urologist and a radiation oncologist, and is often determined by the prostate specific antigen (PSA) level, the stage (how big and involved the tumor is), and the grade (how the tumor looks under a microscope). Each form of radiation treatment is customized to your individual anatomy in order to minimize side effects.

Some unique features of our program include:

  • External beam radiation therapy (EBRT): The main advantage of EBRT is that treatments are not invasive and done as an outpatient.  There is no need for anesthesia or other invasive procedures. Historically, radiation treatments using intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) would take up to 8 weeks of daily radiation treatments.  Now, shorter IMRT regimens of 4 to 6 weeks are frequently an option.
  • Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT): SBRT is new way of delivering high-precision EBRT using larger doses per treatment in just 5 outpatient treatments over 1 - 2 weeks. Prior to treatment, markers are often placed into the prostate to ensure extremely precise treatment delivery.  Also a rectal spacer can be inserted to minimize radiation exposure to the rectum.
  • Brachytherapy: The main advantage of prostate seed implantation is that it occurs in a single outpatient procedure in which the planning and treatment delivery occurs within about one hour. Seeds are inserted under anesthesia through the skin without the need for a surgical incision or for repeated treatment visits.
  • Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA)-Targeted Therapy: Found on the surface of prostate cells, prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) can be a useful biomarker of prostate cancer. PSMA PET (positron emission tomography) uses a radioactive tracer to locate and attach to PSMA proteins, making prostate cancer visible through PET imaging. This approach can be used in conjunction with CT or MRI scans to help physicians accurately stage a patient’s extent of disease, which can lead to more personalized treatment for each individual.

Sarcoma

Sarcomas are a rare and broad group of cancers originating in the bones and soft tissues. Radiation therapy plays a vital role in the optimal management of sarcomas. At Cleveland Clinic we have a multidisciplinary approach which considers a number of radiotherapy treatment options and advanced techniques tailored to the patient and their disease including:

  • External beam radiation therapy (EBRT):this type of radiotherapy is the most common form of radiation. EBRT is delivered by a highly sophisticated treatment machine known as a linear accelerator. The linear accelerator is the tool used by our expert radiation oncologists to deliver a technically complex and patient specific radiation plan. In general EBRT is given as a daily treatment lasting only a few minutes, over several weeks - typically 5 days a week for 5 to 7 weeks. At Cleveland Clinic we specialize in developing patient specific treatment plans that not only treat the tumor but look to limit side effects by limiting exposure to nearby normal tissues. EBRT is used in either the preoperative or post operative settings tailored to the multidisciplinary approach and the individual patient.
  • Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT):this is a form of EBRT that accurately delivers a high dose of radiation, usually over 1-5 treatments for selected patients. This tool is often considered for limited unresectable disease or recurrent disease
  • Internal Radiation:Internal radiation therapy, known as brachytherapy, delivers a high dose of radiation to an area by using one or more implanted radioactive sources placed in or around where a tumor has been resected. In this setting these implants are temporary and are performed in conjunction with our specialized sarcoma surgical team.
  • Intraoperative Radiation Therapy:at Cleveland Clinic we specialize in using intraoperative radiation when additional radiation is needed to the surgical bed at the time of surgery. These procedures are performed in a multidisciplinary approach in conjunction with our sarcoma surgical team.

Every patient is different and our sarcoma patients are ensured a multidisciplinary evaluation and an individualized radiotherapy plan developed by an expert radiation oncologist utilizing advanced technologies, computer software, and treatment planning tailored to their specific anatomy.

Skin

Radiotherapy has traditionally played an important role in the treatment of a wide range of benign and malignant skin tumors. Both electron beam therapy and a modern orthovoltage treatment machine with a penetration depth that is optimized for dermatologic lesions are available at Cleveland Clinic. For small squamous cell or basal cell carcinomas, often just a few high-dose radiotherapy treatments to small target areas will suffice to cure the lesion. Conversely, the department is also experienced in the design of very complex clinical treatment plans, such as total skin electron therapy for patients with mycosis fungoides.

Spine Tumors

Spine tumors can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). A multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists is needed to properly evaluate the best treatment for each individual patient. At Cleveland Clinic we have assembled this team in our Spine Tumor Excellence Program (STEP). This approach assures the best individualized care for each patient.

Radiotherapy for spine tumors traditionally involves X-ray radiation over a number of days. The radiation is divided up this way so that the tumor can safely be treated to a high dose of radiation. At Cleveland Clinic we also specialize in stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) which uses state of the art technology and planning systems to precisely deliver very high doses of radiation to a tumor while also avoiding the spinal cord. Since SRS uses high doses of radiation safely, eligible patients can conveniently be treated in a small number of sessions, usually between 1-5 treatments. 

Therapies

Therapies

Active Breathing Coordinator

Active Breathing Coordinator is a non-invasive device that under the patient's control pauses breathing during radiation treatment to halt internal motion – therefore allowing greater conformity of the radiation beam to the tumor.

Brachytherapy (Low Dose & High Dose)

Brachytherapy is a type of radiation therapy involving the placement of radiation sources near the tumor or within a body cavity.

Edge Radiosurgery

Cleveland Clinic uses Edge radiosurgery systems with state-of-the-art technology that integrates treatment planning in one system. Edge radiosurgery accurately shapes the radiation beam to the area to be treated and uses imaging guidance and other methods to target the tissue or tumor to be treated while avoiding surrounding healthy tissues.

Hyperthermia Therapy

Hyperthermia therapy is a non-invasive method of increasing tumor temperature to stimulate blood flow, increase oxygenation, augment the anti-tumor immune response and render cancer stem cells more sensitive to radiation.

Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)

Image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) involves the use of imaging technology such as X-ray, ultrasound, or optical imaging to direct the delivery of radiation during radiation therapy treatment.

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is the practice of delivering multiple beams of radiation to separate tumor sites in order to more effectively treat large tumor areas.

Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT)

The Intrabeam Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT) device delivers low energy, high dose radiation directly to the tumor bed in the operating room.

Intravascular Brachytherapy (IVBT)

Intravascular Brachytherapy (IVBT) temporarily places radioactive sources in the blood vessel that has been recently opened after having been blocked by scar tissue or “restenosis”.

The radiation from the IVBT treatment helps prevent the vessel from blocking with more scar tissue. The procedure is performed in the Cardiac Catharization Lab

Prone Breast Irradiation

Positioning women with early stage and ductal breast cancer in prone (face down) position while undergoing radiation treatments substantially limits the radiation dose that reaches the heart, lung, and skin.

Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA)-Targeted Therapy

Found on the surface of prostate cells, prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) can be a useful biomarker of prostate cancer. PSMA PET (positron emission tomography) uses a radioactive tracer to locate and attach to PSMA proteins, making prostate cancer visible through PET imaging. This approach can be used in conjunction with CT or MRI scans to help physicians accurately stage a patient’s extent of disease, which can lead to more personalized treatment for each individual.

Radioactive Plaque Therapy

A radioactive plaque is a sealed device that delivers a high dose of radiation to a tumor. The plaque is positioned on the surface of the eyeball directly over the tumor inside the eye.

Radiolabeled Antibody Therapy

Radiolabeled Antibody Therapy is the use of "targeted radiotherapy" that can be injected into the circulation and allowed to localize simultaneously in many different sites of disease involvement.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery (Gamma Knife)

After 20 years of experience and expertise, Cleveland Clinic continues to offer patients the most technologically advanced stereotactic radiosurgery available.

TheraSphere

TheraSphere is a type of brachytherapy used for inoperable hepatocellular or liver carcinoma. TheraSphere consists of millions of radioactive microscopic glass spheres, which are infused into the arteries that feed liver tumors.

Total Body Irradiation

Total Body Irradiation is often given in the context of a bone marrow transplant, and in the past it has generally involved very high doses of radiation given over a period of days just prior to the infusion of the transplanted bone marrow or blood stem cells.

Clinical Trials & Research

Clinical Trials & Research

Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center clinical trials offer patients important treatment options and access to the latest treatments and procedures resulting from cancer research.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials (or research studies) help us create the medicine of tomorrow. They provide hope through offering testing of new drugs, new surgical techniques or other treatments before they are widely available.

We can help you access hundreds of clinical trials across all specialty areas. Our new searchable online trials tool makes identifying treatment opportunities easier than ever.

Medical Professionals

Medical Professionals

Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center is committed to working with you to provide the best care for your patients. Our team is also dedicated to the training and education of medical professionals to advance cancer care and research.

Make An Online Referral

To make a direct online referral to our Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, complete our Online Cancer Patient Referral Form or visit clevelandclinic.org/cancerpatientreferrals.

You will receive a confirmation once the appointment is scheduled.

eDosimetry Services

If you need assistance with your dosimetry planning, Cleveland Clinic's eDosimetry services can help. Medical Dosimetrists design an individualized plan of treatment for cancer patients who have been prescribed radiation therapy by their oncologist. They use computer sciences and mathematics to calculate an appropriate dosage and position for the treatment and communicate with the patient's oncologist to have the plan of treatment approved.

Radiation Oncology Educational Programs

Cleveland Clinic's Radiation Oncology Postgraduate Educational Program is among the most highly regarded in the United States. A critical factor in its success is its full integration within Cleveland Clinic's Taussig Cancer Institute, which is one of the top cancer programs in the country. Cleveland Clinic offers extensive clinical experience to its residents and fellows, all within the setting of an urban tertiary cancer center. 

Treatment Locations

Treatment Locations

Contact Our Radiation Oncologists

Outpatient Referrals
216.444.7923 or 866.223.8100

Inpatient Referrals
800.553.5056

Transfer a Patient
216.444.8302 or 866.547.1467

Locations

Cleveland Clinic Radiation Oncology is available at Cleveland Clinic's main campus at our Taussig Cancer Center, as well as throughout our other locations in Ohio and Florida. Find radiation oncologists and treatment locations throughout the Cleveland Clinic enterprise below: