Facilities
Radiation Oncology Facilities
Radiation Oncology services at three facilities. Our main clinic is located in the new Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center on the University of Virginia Health System main campus. We also provide care at the Moser Radiation Therapy Center (MRTC), located a few miles west of the main clinic on Route 250, and at UVA Culpeper Medical Center. The Department of Radiation Oncology provides treatment using the most comprehensive and advanced technologies available in the region.
Linear Accelerators
The majority of our patients are treated using one of our three state-of-the art linear accelerators. These devices allow your physician to customize the characteristics of the radiation beam to each individual patient. They do this by choosing from several available beam energies, customizing treatment portals using “multileaf collimator” or cerrobend blocking technology, and may use real time portal imaging for daily quality assurance.
Treatment Planning
Our computerized planning systems use exact anatomical information from each patient to help the radiation oncology team develop the optimal radiation treatment plan. Our arsenal of treatment planning technologies includes three dimensional conformal planning for external beam treatments, as well as dedicated systems for prostate brachytherapy, high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy and ocular melanoma.
Brachytherapy
The University of Virginia typically performs over 300 brachytherapy procedures annually, more than any other clinic in Central Virginia. By placing radioactive sources directly into the tissues at risk, we can deliver a highly conformal radiation dose while sparing normal tissues.
Gynecological cancers are treated by our team of Radiation Oncologists in close consultation with the University’s Gynecological Oncology physician specialists. We offer conventional “Low Dose Rate” (LDR) as well as “High Dose Rate” (HDR) brachytherapy treatments.
Prostate cancer is treated using radioactive permanent seed implants. This outpatient procedure is completed within several hours and allows the patient to return home the same day with very little discomfort or disruption to family and work life.
Other cancers, such as ocular melanoma, soft tissue sarcoma, lung and esophagus, can be treated using interstitial or intraluminal techniques.
Computed Tomography (CT) / Virtual Simulation
Using our department’s dedicated CT scanner, patient specific anatomy and tumor boundaries can be precisely visualized. Our state-of-the-art “Virtual Simulation” software allows the physician to modify the placement, shape and angle of each radiation beam in order to deliver a conformal treatment to the tumor volume while sparing surrounding normal tissues. Data from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans can be “fused” with the CT images to enhance visualization of certain structures.
Total Body Irradiation
Patients needing bone marrow transplant may be treated with Total Body Irradiation (TBI) at our Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center facility. This labor and technology intensive procedure is provided by our dedicated team of Radiation Oncologists, Therapists and Physicsts. This therapy is available to both pediatric and adult patients.
Gamma Knife Stereotactic Radiosurgery
Stereotactic Radiosurgery treats a localized region of brain tissue using precisely focused radiation beams. Certain brain tumors and other malformations are treated using Magnetic Resonance Imaging and stereotactic guides to aid in target volume localization. Radiation doses are delivered with millimeter precision. The University of Virginia’s Gamma Knife Center was the second unit installed in the United States. Its team of Neurosurgeons and Radiation Oncologists are recognized internationally as founders of this procedure.
MRI Linac
The MRI-guided radiation therapy system, MRIdian, combines the superior visualization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a linear accelerator into one innovative device that can deliver high-dose radiation with greater precision. This unique technology allows the physician to have greater control over the delivery of radiation to the treatment site. UVA Cancer Center is among the first 25 centers nationwide to install a MRIdian® MR-linac machine. As Virginia’s only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, we’ve got the expertise to bring this breakthrough treatment to you.
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) is a noninvasive procedure that delivers high doses of radiation to specific targets in the body. This innovative approach has allowed our field to cure many tumors without surgery and with minimal number of treatment days. By focusing large doses of radiation on the tumor, we can increase our chances of eradicating the tumors while minimizing dose to adjacent critical organs. At UVA, we are utilizing SBRT to treat cancers of the lung, liver, pancreas, and prostate. We are also utilizing this technique to target limited metastatic disease throughout the body in certain situations. SBRT is often delivered in 1-5 fractions, and it can be delivered utilizing a variety of techniques, including both with a traditional linear accelerator and with an MRI linac.