How We Use Secondary Imaging in Radiation Oncology
By Bart Lynch, Medical Physicist If it is recommended that you undergo radiation therapy, one of your next appointments is for CT simulation. Most patients receive a computed tomography (CT) scan, or treatment planning CT. The images from the CT scan are then used for target identification, treatment planning, and dose calculation. Depending on your…
National Medical Dosimetrist Day
August 17th is National Medical Dosimetrist Day. A medical dosimetrist is part of the radiation oncology team. They work closely with your physician and the physics teams to create a treatment plan customized for your particular situation. While you may never meet a dosimetrist, their role is critical in your treatment. What does a Medical…
What is a supplemental cancer policy?
A supplemental cancer policy is insurance separate from your health insurance. It is meant to supplement your income to help with medical expenses not covered by your primary health insurance. These plans make payments in one of two ways. The first way pays directly to the provider for your medical expenses. These payments are based…
What is Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)?
By Richard Pearlman, M.D., radiation oncologist at Alliance Cancer Care At Alliance Cancer Care, we use daily image guidance for many of our treatments. If you are receiving treatment with us, you are probably undergoing some type of imaging regularly. Image-guided radiation therapy, or IGRT, is a method that uses in-room x-ray or CT to…
How will I pay for my radiation treatments?
Receiving a cancer diagnosis brings with it a multitude of emotions. Trying to figure out how you are going to pay for your treatments can cause added stress and worry. Most people have health insurance to help cover cancer treatments and radiation therapy costs, but your policy may not always cover everything. Alternatively, you may…
Where is the best place for me to receive radiation treatment?
If you are diagnosed with cancer you will likely ask, “Where is the best place for me to receive cancer treatment?” This is a question worth exploring for each patient, as there are very personal considerations when choosing your doctor and treatment team. Most importantly, you should feel confident and comfortable with your medical team…
World Lung Cancer Day
According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 230,000 cases of lung cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States. There are two major subtypes of lung cancer: non-small cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma, which account for 76% and 13% of lung cancers in the U.S., respectively. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of…
How We Hit a Moving Target in Radiation Therapy
Radiation is a treatment that we can focus precisely to kill tumors. We extensively evaluate a tumor’s location and surrounding tissues to ensure that we target tumors accurately and minimize side effects. We also must evaluate the movement of a tumor, to make sure the entire tumor is treated. Many tumors do not move, such…
Top Three Radiation Side Effects
By Elizabeth Falkenberg, M.D., radiation oncologist at Alliance Cancer Care Radiation sounds scary even before the doctor begins to talk about side effects. Will I glow in the dark? NO, but that would be cool! Radiation is an x-ray treatment, designed to target a particular area of the body. In contrast, chemotherapy is a medication…
Physician Spotlight: John Francis Gleason, Jr., M.D.
What is your role at Alliance Cancer Care, and how long have you worked here? I am currently the Medical Director at Alliance Cancer Care. I have worked here for over nine years, and my most important role here is practicing as a radiation oncologist. I see patients in the clinic every day and evaluate…