About Radiation Oncology at Alfred Health

We treat all adult cancers at our two centres, caring for patients across metropolitan Melbourne, Gippsland and to the NSW boarder. Both centres also have dedicated superficial x-ray therapy (SXRT) machines to treat skin cancers.
•    Alfred Health Radiation Oncology - at The Alfred
•    Gippsland Radiation Oncology - at Latrobe Regional Hospital, Traralgon

Radiation therapy uses radiation, such as x-rays and electrons, to kill or damage cancer cells to stop them from growing and multiplying. It can also be used to treat a variety of benign (non-cancerous) diseases.
Radiation therapy is a localised treatment, meaning it mostly works on only the area being treated. The treatment process can range from a single session to multiple sessions lasting up to 8 weeks, depending on a number of factors, such as the type of cancer and cancer stage.
As well as conventional external beam radiation therapy, we specialise in:

• Stereotactic radiation therapy & Radiosurgery 

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) uses precisely focused radiation beams to treat tumours and other problems all over the body. This means there's very little damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. 
Like other forms of radiation, stereotactic body radiation therapy works by damaging the DNA of the targeted cells. The affected cells can't reproduce, which causes tumours to shrink. This therapy is used to treat tumours in the lungs, spine, liver, neck, lymph node or other soft tissues.
Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) gives radiotherapy around the body at many different angles, with the beams meeting at the tumour. This means the tumour receives a high dose of radiation and the tissues around it receive a much lower dose, lowering the risk of side effects.

• Brachytherapy   

Brachytherapy is a type of internal radiation therapy where a small radioactive capsule in a protective coating is delivered directly to the tumour site. The capsule travels through a special applicator to the part of the body containing the tumour. Sometimes these radioactive capsules can be implanted directly into an organ during surgery. The main advantage of brachytherapy is that large doses of radiation can be delivered directly to a tumour.

• Haematological and Transplant Conditioning Radiotherapy

• Skin Cancer Radiotherapy

• Investigator Initiated Clinical Trials

How does radiation therapy fit with other cancer treatments?

Radiation therapy is often given in conjunction with chemotherapy or surgery. Approximately half of all people with cancer are treated with radiation therapy. Our radiation oncologists can give patients advice about the role radiation therapy might play in their treatment, as radiation therapy is not used to treat all cancer types.