Radiation Therapy | AdventHealth Cancer Institute

You’re determined to take the steps you need toward healing. But we also know that home is where your spirit thrives best. It’s why at AdventHealth, formerly Florida Hospital, Cancer Institute, we’re always investing in technology that helps us deliver the most effective radiation treatment possible, in the least amount of time, allowing you to get back to your home and family. From our game-changing Gamma Knife technology for brain and spinal cancer, to MRI-guided brachytherapy for urologic cancers, you’ll find the tools and the team for the most effective radiation treatment possible.

How Radiation Works

Most radiation therapies use energy similar to X-rays to target only the sick parts of your body, keeping healthy tissue strong and untouched. Most of the time, we achieve this precise targeting in one of two ways: using machines that beam gamma rays from overhead, or briefly inserting small radiation implants under your skin. Here, you’ll have access to some of the most advanced radiation healing tools, including the TrueBeam visual radiation system and industry-changing Gamma Knife Radiosurgery.

Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, Explained

No incisions. No anesthesia. Despite its name, the high-tech Gamma Knife isn’t actually a knife at all. It’s a machine that targets difficult-to-reach cancer cells with a powerful stream of gamma rays. You can go home that same day — and we’re the only cancer institute in Central Florida to offer this advanced treatment to our community.

The TrueBeam System

This image-guided radiation system has open sides and revolves high above you, so you can relax and breathe easy. The system is designed to deliver precise radiation directly to a tumor site while sparing healthy tissue and reducing overall treatment time. This precision, along with treatment techniques, minimizes radiation exposure to vital organs such as the chest wall, protecting healthy cardiac tissue and lungs. It’s the preferred treatment for lung, breast, prostate, and gastrointestinal tumors.

What to Expect: Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy (Internal Radiation Therapy) allows a higher dose of radiation in a smaller area. During this procedure, a radioactive source is applied inside your body or near your tumor. Your team may recommend a high- or low-dose rate application depending on your diagnosis. Brachytherapy allows our specialists to target the tumor directly, while reducing the number of treatments and lowering radiation exposure to surrounding organs.

MRI-guided HDR brachytherapy is a minimally invasive method that delivers concentrated doses of radiation, keeping healthy nearby tissue safer. It’s commonly used to treat urologic cancers, gynecologic cancers, breast cancer, and more.

Protecting Vital Organs

SpaceOAR is a temporary, injectable, non-toxic biodegradable gel that protects the rectum during brachytherapy treatment for prostate cancer. By protecting the rectum, patients experience fewer side effects from their prostate cancer treatment.

Innovative Radiation Treatments

Our radiation oncologists specialize in the following advanced radiation treatments, each designed to shorten recovery times and improve overall outcomes:

Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy (IORT) is a revolutionary procedure that delivers precise radiation during a lumpectomy, before the incision is closed. It helps reduce damage done to healthy tissue and greatly decreases the number of radiation treatments you will need after surgery.
Radioembolization therapy is a minimally invasive procedure that combines embolization and radiation therapy to treat liver cancer.
Stereotactic body radiation therapy is used for small, early-stage tumors and is commonly used to treat pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, or metastasis to the liver.

What to Expect from Radiation Treatment

Radiation sessions are typically short, but depending on your treatment plan, you may have several sessions over the course of a few days or weeks. Your oncology team will tailor every step of your treatment to your specific needs after carefully considering your health, medications, and allergies. Your radiation oncologist will prescribe daily treatments — starting with one to five days and sometimes lasting up to 10 weeks. To make your treatments more comfortable, you’ll be fitted with a pillow custom-made for you. We also use preventive medicines to help minimize side effects from radiation, such as fatigue, sensitive skin, or nausea. Whatever you may need to support your whole health between and during treatments, our nutritionists, counselors, and spiritual advisors are available to help in every way they can.

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Beyond Radiation Therapy

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Whole-Person Care. Targeted Radiation Therapy.

How Radiation Works

Protecting Vital Organs

What to Expect from Radiation Treatment

Personalized Patient Navigation

News and Events

Beyond Radiation Therapy

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Surgery

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