Radiation Oncology

The Department of Radiation Oncology at Sequoia Hospital offers the highest quality radiation therapy coupled with superior patient care. Inside, you’re treated with compassion in the calm setting of a community hospital. Our caring, professional staff is committed to providing you with personal attention and service.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells by interfering with their ability to reproduce. It’s an effective treatment for many kinds of cancer including breast cancer and prostate cancer, and is used to cure cancer, control the growth or spread of cancer, and to provide comfort by alleviating the symptoms cancer can sometimes cause. 

At Sequoia Hospital, our radiation therapy treatments are delivered by a machine called a linear accelerator that generates the high energy x-rays used to kill cancer cells. The amount of radiation each patient receives is determined by a radiation oncologist and is based on current information about how much radiation is needed to damage and kill the particular type of cancer involved. 

Know that your safety and welfare are always top priorities in planning radiation therapy treatments. 

Technology

Our Radiation Oncology department is equipped with two Varian linear accelerators, which produce high energy X-rays (p)hotons and electrons for treatment. 

Our linear accelerator is the Varian True Beam. Its many features include:

  • Multi-leaf Collimator-internalized shielding
  • Enhanced dynamic wedges
  • IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) capabilities
  • Treatments that can be precisely tailored for each patient 
  • Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)
  • Gating
  • Rapid Arc Therapy

Treatments for superficial lesions, such as skin cancers, are given on a lower energy X-ray machine called an orthovoltage unit. 

A specialized, high dose brachytherapy unit from Varian is used for partial breast radiation and gynecological cancers.

CyberKnife Technology

CyberKnife is a non-invasive alternative to surgery for the treatment of both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors anywhere in the body. The treatment, which is painless, delivers high-dose radiation beams to tumors with extreme accuracy. Learn more about the CyberKnife Technology offered by Sequoia Hospital.

Learn More About Radiation Oncology At Sequoia

For more information about radiation therapy, please call (650) 367-5591. To find a doctor who specializes in radiation oncology, use our online Find a Doctor.