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Radiation Oncology

Radiation therapy is a key weapon against many cancers. We can target tumor cells with amazing accuracy for better outcomes and fewer side effects than ever before.

At Legacy Cancer Institute we provide the most advanced technology to treat any type of adult or childhood cancer, including the most complex tumors.

What's more, we offer care focused on the whole person, with a support staff to help you and your family through the experience.

 

Advanced radiation treatment for cancer

  • “Cancer is a very intense, personal experience. Taking care of people and making their lives better at a very critical time –– that is why we do this.”

    Mark Schray, M.D., radiation oncologist
    Legacy Cancer Institute

    Schray Mark

Complete, specialized care

Our team of radiation oncology specialists offers treatment, symptom management, support and follow-up care in warm and welcoming radiation oncology centers across the Portland-Vancouver area.

Legacy Cancer Institute treats patients with the most recent radiation equipment available. Our specialties include:

  • Brachytherapy (also known as internal radiation)
  • SBRT (stereotactic body radiation therapy), also known as SABR (stereotactic ablative body radiation)
  • Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery (“knifeless” brain surgery)

See below for more on these specialties. 

Legacy’s adult radiation oncology services are part of the OHSU Knight-Legacy Cancer Collaborative, which means more locations and more expertise for our patients. Children are treated at Legacy Good Samaritan, in partnership with Randall Children’s Hospital pediatric oncologists.

Care for the whole person

We know that having cancer affects every aspect of your life. We also know the best care includes personal attention, an individual care plan, and support for all of your needs. 

Every Legacy patient has a support team to help them through treatment. These services will not only help you feel better, they are proven to reduce the symptoms and side effects of cancer and its treatment. Support team members include:

  • A social worker who offers emotional support along with practical help with transportation, finances and other personal issues
  • A registered dietitian certified to work with cancer patients offers advice on nutrition and, choosing foods to help reduce symptoms such as nausea
  • Massage therapy and stress reduction therapy for patients at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. Our massage therapist is of only two massage therapists in Oregon certified to care for cancer patients.

All Legacy cancer patients have access to the integrative (complementary) therapies at the Cancer Healing Center. Learn more here.

The latest technologies to target tumors

Technological advances mean the radiation is delivered with improved accuracy and faster speed for better results and less risk of damaging the healthy areas of the body around the tumor.

Legacy Cancer Institute has the most advanced technology available, including:

  • Conformal external beam radiotherapy.  Many cancers are treated with conformal external beam radiotherapy. The physician sees the tumor in 3-D and in real-time, which means the radiation is “shrink wrapped” around the tumor –– minimizing any radiation leaking out to surrounding tissues. We use the latest linear accelerator technology.
  • Brachytherapy. In brachytherapy, a higher dose of radiation is placed in direct contact with the tumor, in a single treatment session, for excellent results and convenience for patients. Brachytherapy is particularly useful for breast, prostate and gynecological cancers. Our brachytherapy program is the largest and most experienced in the region. Learn more. 
  • SBRT (stereotactic body radiation therapy). SBRT, a form of radiation treatment, that delivers an intense and highly accurate dose of radiation over a short time to destroy tumors. The treatment accounts for body and breathing motion.  This is also known as SABR (stereotactic ablative radiation therapy).
  • Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery. The Gamma Knife, a non-surgical radiation treatment, is the gold standard for treating certain types of brain tumors, including tumors that have spread to the brain from other parts of the body (metastases). Learn more.  

Our team

Meet our team of doctors and other specialists.