Cancer Care
From diagnosis and throughout treatment, Main Line Health cancer specialists (oncologists) provide compassionate care for you and your loved ones through all stages of cancer treatment.
Radiation Oncology
Advanced, comprehensive radiation oncology treatments
More than half of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy, a type of cancer treatment that uses high-energy particles and beams to destroy cancer cells. At Main Line Health, our expert radiation oncologists use the latest technology to give you powerful, precise treatment.
Accredited by the American Society for Radiation Oncology Accreditation Program for Excellence®
The Radiation Oncology Center at Lankenau Medical Center has been reaccredited by the American Society for Radiation Oncology through the Accreditation Program for Excellence®. This accreditation program validates a radiation oncology facility’s excellence in delivering safe, high-quality patient care.
This accreditation is a rigorous multi-step process during which Lankenau’s practice was evaluated using evidence-based standards. Through this process, Lankenau demonstrated its continued focus on safety, quality and commitment to patient-centered care, with emphases on effective communication, coordinated treatments and strong patient engagement.
External radiation therapy beams destroy cancer
During external radiation therapy, our radiation oncologists aim high-powered X-ray beams at precise places in your body to kill cancer cells while leaving your healthy cells unharmed. Using the most sophisticated technology to deliver radiation therapy, we offer comprehensive treatments, including:
- Stereotactic body radiation therapy – this treatment is used to accurately target tumors anywhere in the body
- Stereotactic radiosurgery – this radiation treatment is typically used for brain tumors
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy – this technology uses computers to precisely target tumors anywhere in the body
- Image-guided radiation therapy – this robotic therapy allows for precise treatment of tumors anywhere in the body
Special technology allows us to target cancer cells even as you move and breathe during treatment. These advanced systems help you get treatment faster with fewer side effects. Technology used during external radiation therapy include:
- Volumetric modulated arc therapy – this technology offers targeted radiation at a faster pace with more accuracy
- Patient monitoring system – this technology tracks patient movement during radiation and shuts down automatically if the patients' position changes during treatment
- Respiratory gating technology – typically used for breast, lung and liver tumors, this technology synchronizes radiation timing with the patient's breathing cycle
Brachytherapy kills cancer from within
At Main Line Health locations throughout the Philadelphia suburbs, we also offer internal radiation therapy, called brachytherapy. With these cutting-edge techniques, radiation is temporarily placed where your cancer is located for accurate treatment. The radiation kills cells surrounding your cancer site, but doesn't hurt cells in other areas of your body. Brachytherapy can be used for many cancers, including breast cancer, endometrial cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer.
Our brachytherapy services include:
- High-dose-rate brachytherapy – this therapy is typically used for cervical, endometrial and breast cancer to directly target high-dose radiation to tumors
- Partial breast irradiation – this treatment specifically targets breast cancer tumors as opposed to the entire breast
- Vaginal cuff brachytherapy – used to treat endometrial cancer, this therapy greatly reduces the amount of radiation to the bladder and rectum during treatment
Hyperthermia burns up cancer cells
Main Line Health has one of only three cancer centers in the Philadelphia region to use hyperthermia (heat therapy) to treat cancer. Cancer cells are exposed to very high temperatures, killing the cells or making them more likely to be harmed by radiation therapy. New studies show that hyperthermia can offer great results to patients.