Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, is a cancer treatment approach that directs high-energy radiation at the cancer cells to kill them or to keep them from growing. Your sarcoma treatment plan may include radiation therapy in combination with surgery and your radiation treatments may be conducted before, during, and/or after surgery.
Your sarcoma treatment plan may include:
- Pre-operative radiation. Sarcoma tumors tend to have “roots and fingers” that grow into surrounding tissue. Radiation is often used to target a border or margin of this surrounding tissue before the surgery to remove the tumor. This may help your surgery be less drastic and more successful, with a better chance for the surgeon to achieve “clear margins,” or cancer-free areas surrounding where the tumor used to be.
- Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy (IORT). Roswell Park is the only facility in the state outside of New York City with the capabilities to deliver radiation therapy internally during surgery. This approach also helps improve the ability to get clear margins. Patients who have had previous external beam radiation may still have Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy.
It matters where you receive radiation therapy
At Roswell Park, your treatment will be planned and delivered by an accredited radiation oncology team with the expertise and experience to use the latest technology, offer the highest level of quality and safety and focus on what’s best for you at all times.