Department of Radiation Oncology

Clinical practice

See the related links section for a list of waiting periods for treatment and testing.

Treatments we provide

National Cancer Center Hospital uses 4 linear accelerators for external beam radiotherapy, 1 CyberKnife, 1 MRI-guided radiotherapy system, and a brachytherapy system and suite to perform radiotherapy. We refer patients needing particle therapy, such as proton beam or heavy particle therapy, to an institution equipped to provide it.

Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy

This is a treatment technique that uses a three-dimensional treatment planning system to create a radiation field fitted to the shape of the target area requiring treatment based on CT and MR images, which is designed to minimize the damage from radiation on normal tissues. This technique has been introduced in our hospital since the 1990s and is now applied to the majority of treatments.

Stereotactic radiotherapy

This is a treatment technique that concentrates radiation beams on the confined target lesion from multiple directions. This drastically reduces the dose of radiation to surrounding normal tissues compared with conventional radiotherapy. We began using this technique to treat metastatic brain tumors in 1991 and have since expanded its use to other areas, such as the lungs and liver.

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)

IMRT is a method of delivering radiation by changing (modulating) the intensity of radiation in the radiation field using the latest technology. This technique allows the treatment to be even better tailored to the shape of the cancer, by adjusting not only the radiation field but also the dose of radiation within the field. IMRT has been introduced to treat head and neck tumors and prostate cancer, and we are continually expanding its use to other cancers.

Brachytherapy

In this treatment, radioactive isotopes sealed in containers shaped as tubes, needles, wires, or grains are inserted or implanted directly into the cancer or surrounding tissue as a radiation source. It is a highly radiation-concentrative therapy. In 2009, we began using permanent iodine-125 brachytherapy primarily for low-risk prostate cancer. Currently, high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy is also applied for intermediate- to high-risk prostate cancer. The treatment procedure can be completed during a hospital stay of 2 to 3 nights. When PSA recurrence is observed after radiotherapy for prostate cancer, salvage brachytherapy can be administered again depending on the circumstances. Definitive radiotherapy for prostate cancer patients with lymph node or bone metastases has also been suggested to be effective by some researches, and is performed in consultation with patients.
Our Department is also actively performing intracavitary and/or intertitial irradiation for gynecological and head and neck cancers. Please contact the Department of Radiation Oncology for details.

Radioisotope therapy

This is a method of treatment in which a radioactive isotope is injected or orally taken into the body to be induced to emit radiation once it reaches tumor tissue. We provide iodine-131 internal therapy for thyroid cancer, radium-223 therapy for hormone refractory prostate cancer, and lutetium-177 therapy for neuroendocrine tumors in cooperation with nuclear medicine specialists in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and the primary physicians.

Proton therapy

Proton beams have the property that when they enter the body, they do not release energy near the body surface, but rather release a large dose of radiation to tissues right before they stop. Proton beams can efficiently concentrate the radiation dose on the lesion alone, resulting in fewer adverse reactions. This treatment is provided at the National Cancer Center Hospital East, and we provide outpatient consultations for it.

Radiotherapy for prostate cancer

Our department offers a variety of radiotherapy options for prostate cancer. All of these are covered by Japanese National Health Insurance, and we also offer cutting-edge treatments. We will ask the patients to select the treatment that best fits his needs from the various options of intensity-modulated radiotherapy, steretaoctic body radiotherapy, and interstitial brachytherapy.