Radiation Therapy

The thought of radiation can seem scary at first. But it doesn't have to be. The Nebraska Medicine radiation oncology team will walk with you every step of your treatment journey. 

We'll help answer questions like:

• What are the potential side effects?
• Is radiation really necessary?
• How will it enhance my chance of survival?

Undergoing radiation to treat cancer or relieve pain can generate a lot of questions. We would like the opportunity to meet with you, discuss your diagnosis, and answer your specific questions. For many patients who need radiation therapy, it can be an effective part of their cancer treatment. 

Receiving radiation treatment is nothing like what many imagine. Dramatic improvements over the past two decades help our doctors more precisely target cancer cells while sparing surrounding healthy tissue.

Our radiation therapy doctors work closely with other specialists, combining it when necessary with surgery, chemotherapy, and other treatments to help maximize your chances of gaining a healthy future.

Why choose Nebraska Medicine for radiation therapy?

World-renowned cancer care close to home 

Patients come from all around the world to see some of our cancer doctors. Here, you have access to specialists with international reputations, along with advanced cancer treatments and equipment. If you live in the greater Omaha area, we strive to bring these services near your doorstep, including the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center - Village Pointe Health Center in west Omaha. Patients in central Nebraska can visit the Nebraska Medicine | Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center - Kearney location.

We can target tumors with great precision

Nebraska Medicine uses TrueBeam™ stereotactic radiosurgery technology, which offers patients precise stereotactic radiotherapy treatment. It shapes radiation beams to match the contour of a tumor or lesion, allowing even irregularly shaped tumors to receive direct radiation treatment, while limiting damage to adjacent tissues and organs.

Leading-edge procedures

Because we conduct clinical trials, we are helping design new techniques, therapies, and treatments.  We can help you get that access right now.

All the services in one location near you

We offer our comprehensive radiation services and advanced technologies at various locations, providing greater convenience for patients who need radiation therapy.

Our team

Radiation is often part of a larger treatment process. In order to tailor each treatment program to fit the unique aspects of your cancer, our team includes doctors from different disciplines who bring their expert advice to every case. Above all, we strive to make sure you know you're not alone. In fact, our team revolves around the specifics of you and your case.

Some advanced therapies we offer:

Respiratory gating

This therapy can reduce the amount of normal tissue exposed to radiation.
Using a multi-slice, four-dimensional computerized tomography (CT) scanner – the fourth dimension is time – and computers capable of storing and manipulating over 1,500 CT images, doctors measure a patient's range of motion during breathing and plan a tailored treatment specific to the breathing cycles. 

During respiratory-gated treatment, the radiation beam is turned on and off to synchronize delivery with the optimal point in the patient's breathing cycle. Simply put, the treatment matches your breathing. Patients with breast, lung, liver, pancreas, and kidney cancers may benefit from this type of enhanced treatment.

Image-guided radiation therapy

This therapy uses X-rays and CT scans to precisely target a tumor for daily radiation treatment.
 

Surface-guided radiation therapy (SGRT)

SGRT is a non-invasive, radiation-free technology that uses 3D optical cameras to map and track a patient's body in real time during treatment. This technology is available at all Nebraska Medicine radiation therapy locations.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)

Nebraska Medicine was the first health system in Omaha to offer IMRT and remains one of the region’s most experienced providers of this treatment. Pencil-thin beams of varying intensity conform radiation to the shape of the tumor, allowing physicians to deliver higher doses to the cancer while minimizing damage to nearby health tissue and organs. 

Brachytherapy

This is a form of radiation that involves the placement of radioactive sources inside or near an area where a tumor was removed.

This technique allows for the delivery of high doses of radiation therapy while simultaneously sparing normal tissue. Brachytherapy is often used to treat prostate, gynecologic, and breast malignancies. The high-dose-rate unit with Nebraska Medicine allows some brachytherapy procedures to be performed on an outpatient basis.

Proton therapy

Proton therapy uses targeted radiation to treat a tumor while protecting nearby healthy tissue. Unlike traditional X-ray radiation, proton therapy can stop at the tumor instead of continuing through the body. This may help reduce side effects and protect nearby organs.     

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT)

SBRT is a type of radiation therapy that can treat some cancers in just one to five treatments. It uses 3D imaging to target the tumor with high precision.

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)

SRS is a non-invasive treatment that uses focused radiation to treat tumors in the brain, spine, and other areas. It can be an alternative to surgery for some patients or used in combination with other treatments.