Radiation oncology services to combat cancer
UM Health-Sparrow Lansing has a long heritage of serving Mid-Michigan cancer patients. In the 1950’s UM Health-Sparrow’s Cancer Center became one of the first programs in Michigan to use high energy X-rays through teletherapy. That innovative tradition has continued. Implantable radioactive treatments called brachytherapy and radiopharmaceutical therapy using Monoclonal Antibodies have given the Radiation Oncology Department of the Herbert-Herman Cancer Center a full spectrum of services to combat cancer.
The Teletherapy program at UM Health-Sparrow has been an early user of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) designing accurate radiation treatments to the tumor while protecting critical patient anatomy. These IMRT treatments are precisely guided to tumor using volumetric Image Guidance Radiation Therapy, where a 3-dimensional image of the treatment area is taken just prior to treatment to verify the alignment of the IMRT beams.
UM Health-Sparrow’s Brachytherapy program includes both permanent and temporary radioactive implants. These implants are placed directly inside or next to the tumor, delivering an exact amount of radiation to the tumor using a low energy radiation source, which reduces the dose to the rest of the patient. Permanent implants are used for prostate cancer and are performed in UM Health-Sparrow’s surgical suites. The temporary implants are scheduled as regular outpatient treatments in the Cancer Center for lung, GYN, and breast cancers.
Please contact our office at 517-364-9401 with any questions.