Brachytherapy is a type of radition therapy used to treat cancer. Unlike external beam therapy of EBT, in which high-energy x-ray beams generated by a machine are directed at the tumor from outside the body, brachytherapy involves placing a radioactive material directly inside or next to the tumor. Brachytherapy allows a physician to use a higher total dose of radiation to treat a smaller area and in a shorter time than is possible with external radiation treatment. It may be either temporary or permanent:

Click here for more information: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=brachy

Brain tumors fall into two different categories: primary or metastatic. Primary brain tumors begin within the brain. A metastatic tumor is formed when cancer cells located elsewhere in the body break away and travel to the brain. For this reason, metastatic brain tumors are almost always malignant, while primary brain tumors may be benign or malignant. Radiation therapy may be advised for tumors that are sensitive to brachytheraphy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and radiosurgery . Conventional radiation therapy uses external beams of x-rays, gamma rays, or protons aimed at the tumor to kill cancer cells and shrink brain tumors. The therapy is usually given over a period of several weeks.

Click here for more information: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=thera-brain

It is estimated that more than 240,000 women in the U.S. were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. It is now possible to detect most breast cancers at a very early state. With early detection and improved treatments more women are surviving breast cancer. All of these detection methods are available at Guam Radiology Consultants.

Click here for more information: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=breastcancer

Colorectal cancer refers to malignant tumors found in the colon and rectum. The colon and rectum are part of the large intestine of the digestive system, usually referred to as thegastrointenstinal tract. In the United States, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer. However, the number of deaths from the disease has decreased as a result of improved tests that allow early detection of the cancer, when it can be more easily treated. Many of these tests can be performed at Guam Radiology Consultants.

Click here for more information: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=colorect

External beam therapy (or EBT) is a method for delivering a beam of high-energy x-rays to a patient's cancerous tumor. The beam is generated outside the patient and is targeted at the tumor site. These high energy x-rays can deposit their dose to the area of the tumor to destroy the cancer cells and, with careful treatment planning, spare the surrounding normal tissues. No radioactive sources are placed inside the patient's body. It can be used to treat breast cancer, colorectal cancer (bowel cancer),head and neck cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, brain tumors, as well as many others.

Click here for more information: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=ebt

The gamma knife and its associated computerized treatment planning software enable physicians to locate and irradiate relatively small targets in the head (mostly inside the brain) with extremely high precision. Intense doses of radiation can be given to the targeted areas while largely sparing the surrounding tissues.

Click here for more information: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=gamma_knife

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced mode of high-precision radiotherapy that utilizes computer-controlled linear accelerators to deliver precise radiation doses to a malignant tumor or specific areas within the tumor. IMRT allows higher radiation doses to be focused to regions within the tumor while minimizing the dose to surrounding normal critical structures. IMRT is being used most extensively to treat cancers of the prostate , head and neck and central nervous system. IMRT has also been used in limited situations to treat breast, thyroid, lung, as well as in gastrointestinal, gynecologic malignancies and certain types of sarcomas. IMRT may also be beneficial for treating pediatric malignancies.

Click here for more information: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=imrt

A linear accelerator (LINAC) is the device most commonly used for external beam radiation treatments for patients with cancer. The linear accelerator uses microwave technology (similar to that used for radar) to accelerate electrons in a part of the accelerator called the "wave guide", then allows these electrons to collide with a heavy metal target. As a result of the collisions, high-energy x-rays are scattered from the target. A portion of these x-rays is collected and then shaped to form a beam that matches the patient's tumor.

Click here for more information: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=linac

More than one in four of all diagnosed cancers involve the lung, and lung cancer remains the most common cancer-related cause of death among American men and women. At the same time, it may well be that a great many lung cancers are preventable through early detection. Guam Radiology Consultants offers a choice of services for detection and prevention.

Click here for more information: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=lungcancer

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in American men, most prevalent in men over age 65 and fairly common in men 50-64 years old. However, prostate cancer can occur in men younger than 50. There are many treatment options for prostate cancer that is confined to the prostate gland. Each option should be considered carefully, balancing the advantages against the disadvantages as they relate to the individual man's age, overall health and personal preferences.

Click here for more information: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=pros_cancer

Protons are atoms that carry a positive charge. Just as x-rays are used to treat both benign and malignant tumors, a beam of protons can be used to irradiate tumors in the same way. There is no difference in the biological effects of protons versus photons (x-rays). Physically, protons release most of their energy when they hit the tumor and deliver no exit dose beyond the tumor boundary, unlike photons. Therefore, the dose of radiation conforms to the tumor better and there is less damage to healthy tissue.

Click here for more information: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=protonthera

Stereotactic radiosurgery is a highly precise form of radiation therapy used primarily to treat tumors and other abnormalities of the brain. It is a non-surgical procedure that delivers a single high-dose of precisely-targeted radiation using highly focused gamma-ray or x-ray beams that converge on the specific area or areas of the brain where the tumor or other abnormality resides, minimizing the amount of radiation to health brain tissue. It works in the same way as other forms of radiation treatment. It does not actually remove the tumor; rather, it damages the DNA of tumor cells. As a result, these cells lose their ability to reproduce.

Click here for more information: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=stereotactic