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Radiation therapy is one field of medicine where the quality and capability of the equipment is as important as the expertise and compassion of the medical staff. Our equipment is second to none. We have state-of-the-art linear accelerators capable of producing several electron or photon beams at various energies in continuous or pulsed modes. Beams can be shaped to avoid sensitive healthy tissue and focused with pinpoint precision.
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) and respiratory gating are some of the more advanced treatment methods offered at Mayo Clinic. These types of treatment help make the body radiosurgery program unique.
Qualified professionals maintain the equipment. A Ph.D.-trained physicist supervises all calibrations of the radiation beam as well as individual treatment plans.
Mayo's radiation oncology team consists of physicians, radiation therapists, dosimetrists, physicists, oncology nurses, a nurse practitioner, desk attendants, schedulers and secretaries. This team works together to develop a treatment plan appropriate for you.
Each physician, or radiation oncologist, has received extensive, specialized training in managing cancer patients who need radiation treatment and is board certified in radiation oncology by The American Board of Radiology. The physicians further specialize by concentrating their individual practices on treating certain types of cancers. This specialization is your assurance that you are receiving care from someone who is highly skilled at treating your specific cancer. All medical staff continue to train and study throughout their careers to ensure that they stay current with the most advanced treatment procedures available.
Our radiation therapists, who deliver the radiation treatments planned by physicians, have extensive experience as well. They can appreciate how patients feel going through treatment and help lessen fears about the radiation therapy process. All therapists hold current registries as radiation therapists with the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and the State of Florida.
Physicists are also board certified in radiation oncology physics and licensed by the State of Florida.
Mayo's radiation oncology services are accredited by the American College of Radiology. This certifies our commitment to quality. To earn accreditation, a center must meet specific requirements involving equipment, quality assurance programs and images or treatment records. Participation in this stringent evaluation process is voluntary.
Our radiation therapy services are part of the Mayo Comprehensive Cancer Center, the first multicenter clinic in the United States to receive this National Cancer Institute-designation for its entire program. Our physicians also may call on their Mayo colleagues here, in Arizona or in Minnesota to help with your health care.
Clinical research studies designed by Mayo researchers and others are available to eligible cancer patients. Clinical studies give patients the opportunity to participate in the newest and most innovative investigative programs that offer the greatest hope for the most difficult cancer problems. When you are treated at Mayo Clinic, you have access to more than 150 clinical research studies for virtually any type of cancer. To find out more, go to the Mayo Clinic Clinical Trials Web site.
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