Coastal Radiation Oncology

The causes of head and neck cancer are unknown, although there are some risk factors that can increase the likelihood of you developing each type.

Having a risk factor for a disease doesn’t mean that you will definitely get it, but it does make it more likely. You may even have many risk factors for head and neck cancer and never get it.

The main risk factors for most head and neck cancers are drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and through smoking — such as cigarettes, pipes, or even second-hand exposure.

You’re also more likely to develop some head and neck cancers if you:

• Are male
• Are older
• Have an infection, such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
• Have a family history of head and neck cancers
• Are overweight or obese
• Eat a diet that is high in salt-cured meats, or low in fruits and vegetables
• Have been exposed to dust or workplace chemicals

The signs of head and neck cancer vary depending on where your cancer is. In some instances, the first symptoms may be difficult to spot. You may experience:

• Lumps or swelling
• Pain
• Fatigue and weakness
• Sore throat
• Unexplained weight loss
• Breathing difficulties or breathlessness
• Headaches or double vision
• A change in your voice or difficulty speaking
• Eating difficulties, such as finding it hard to open your mouth or swallow
• Changes to your ears, such as constant ringing (tinnitus), fluid, earache, or loss of hearing
• Changes to your nose, including a reduced sense of smell, nosebleeds, or discharge from the nose

These head and neck cancer symptoms may be caused by other, non-cancerous conditions, but it’s best to speak to your primary care physician for advice if you have any concerns. The sooner your cancer is detected, the better the chance of it being successfully treated.

Our standard of care starts by offering the latest diagnostic tests and treatments for head and neck cancers – including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and targeted therapies. Your care team can also give you advice about well-being and nutrition that you can follow throughout the course of your treatment and beyond.

We know from our experience that high-quality care means treating you as a person and not just your cancer. Our expert team will treat your disease in the best way possible, while offering as much personal support as you need.

The majority of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking, either you smoking or being exposed to second-hand smoke. In some instances, lung cancer can develop in people who’ve never smoked or are not exposed to second-hand smoke – the underlying causes here are not clear.

There are a number of known factors that increase your risk of developing lung cancer.

Having a risk factor for a disease doesn’t mean that you will definitely get it, but it makes it more likely. You might have many risks factors for lung cancer and never get it.

You’re more likely to develop lung cancers if you:

• Are over 65
• Smoke or are exposed to second-hand smoke
• Have a personal or family history of lung cancer
• Have previously had radiation therapy to your chest
• Work with asbestos or other chemicals – such as arsenic, chromium and nickel
• Are exposed to radon gas – this is produced by the natural breakdown of substances in soil. Unsafe levels of radon can sometimes accumulate in homes

Most people don’t have any signs of lung cancer when it’s in its early stages. As the cancer grows, you may experience:

• A persistent cough that is progressively worse
• Coughing up blood
• Hoarse voice
• Regular or persistent chest infections
• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath
• Breathing or swallowing difficulties
• Fatigue
• Weight loss

Having one or more lung cancer symptoms doesn’t mean you have cancer, as they may be caused by other conditions. It’s best to speak to your primary care physician if you have any concerns. The sooner your cancer is detected, the better the chance of it being successfully treated.

We offer the latest diagnostic tests and treatments for lung cancer as standard, including advanced radiation therapies such as high-dose rate brachytherapy and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Our latest-generation systems deliver highly targeted radiation, for effective tumor treatments with fewer side effects.

At GenesisCare, we understand what it takes to achieve the best possible life outcomes and go a little further to provide it. After all, we’re treating you — not just your cancer.

Gamma Knife is a type of SRS and uses gamma radiation to treat tumors with sub-millimeter precision to avoid damage to healthy tissue. It is often used to control metastatic brain cancer and other tumors that can’t easily be reached with surgery. Most treatments are delivered in an outpatient setting, in around 45 minutes. Most treatments require 1-3 sessions.

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) also known as SABR is similar to SRS and treats cancers within your body. It is a method of using 3-D imaging to very precisely locate and treat a small cancer target in the body. The SBRT technique is different from conventional radiotherapy techniques in that the treatment dose is higher and targeted to a smaller area around the lesion, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues.

SBRT has a shorter treatment schedule than other forms of radiation therapy and limits potential damage to surrounding organs while lessening side effects through its sub-millimeter accuracy. SBRT is often used as an alternative to surgery. SBRT can be used to treat cancer cells in any body part.

The benefits of treating metastatic cancer with SBRT:

• It allows for higher doses of radiation per treatment that have been shown to be more effective in destroying cancer cells
• It focuses the radiation beam on small, targeted areas of cancerous tissue and avoids normal tissues or structures.
• It is typically given in as few doses as one to five treatments

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a non-surgical treatment that precisely delivers radiation to the target site in very few treatment sessions. This advanced radiation therapy technique is typically used for brain cancers. It directs high doses of radiation with pinpoint accuracy, avoiding the surrounding healthy tissue and reducing the impact on your brain and cognitive function. Most treatments are delivered in an outpatient setting, in around 45 minutes. Results from studies have shown better outcomes compared to standard treatments with fewer side effects being one of the main improvements seen by most patients.

The benefits of treating metastatic cancer with SRS:

• It allows for higher doses of radiation per treatment that have been shown to be more effective in destroying cancer cells
• It focuses the radiation beam on small, targeted areas of cancerous tissue and avoids normal tissues or structures.
• It is typically given in as few doses as one to five treatments

Palliative radiation therapy’s aim isn’t to cure cancer. We focus on giving you a better quality of life by controlling your symptoms. Symptoms can include pain, breathlessness, swelling and bleeding and can be alleviated in as few as one or two treatments.

Palliative radiation therapy can:

• Treat symptoms of cancer in the lungs
• Control ulcerating tumors and reduce bleeding
• Treat symptoms of cancer in the brain
• Treat a blood vessel blockage in the neck
• Relieve pain in bone cancer
• Relieve pressure on the spinal cord
• Shrink a tumor to reduce pain

Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy that delivers treatment from inside the prostate. LDR brachytherapy utilizes radioactive seeds administered to the prostate through the perineum under ultrasound guidance. These implants are permanent and emit the radiation over months. 

HDR brachytherapy involves the placement of tubes through which a radiative source is inserted. Treatment is delivered over several sessions. After treatment, the radioactive source and tubes are removed.

IGRT uses X-rays and scans before, and during your treatment. It is used to check your position before the treatment machine is turned on. The scans show the exact shape, size, and location of the tumor. We can then make tiny adjustments to precisely target the tumor.

IMRT is an advanced external beam radiation therapy technique where the beams of radiation are precisely shaped to exactly match your tumor, which limits radiation exposure to adjacent healthy tissue. 

SpaceOAR hydrogel is a water-based soft gel implant that is injected before you start your radiation therapy. SpaceOAR hydrogel stays in place for around three months. After that, it’s naturally absorbed by the body.

The spacer procedure is usually performed under a light general anesthetic, although occasionally performed under sedation. An ultrasound probe is inserted into the rectum to ‘visualize’ the prostate, bladder, rectum, and the area surrounding these organs. Thin needles are used to insert the markers into the prostate through the area of skin between the scrotum and anus called the perineum. Using a separate needle, the SpaceOAR hydrogel spacer is injected into the space between the rectum and the prostate to increase this area. The gel is sculpted to fit so each insertion is individualized. The procedure takes between 15-30 minutes.

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) is a less invasive radiation treatment for men diagnosed with prostate cancer. SBRT has a shorter treatment schedule and limits potential damage to surrounding organs while lessening side effects through its sub-millimeter accuracy. SBRT is often used as an alternative to surgery. Additionally, SBRT has shown to be highly effective for late-stage cancers, allowing patients who were previously considered incurable to be offered long-term and curative outcomes.

VMAT is an advanced form of IMRT that directs beams of radiation in an arc across the treatment area. Together with SGRT, it’s possible to very accurately target areas of cancer, adjusting the beam and intensity of radiation dose to allow for movements in the body and avoid healthy tissues nearby.

The leading cause of skin cancer is UV radiation, either from sunlight or tanning beds.

There are several known factors for skin cancer. Having a risk factor for a disease doesn’t mean that you will develop it, but it makes it more likely.

You’re more likely to develop skin cancer if you:

• Are older
• Have a family history or personal history of skin cancer
• Have a rare type of birthmark – known as giant congenital melanocytic naevus
• Spend lots of time in the sun
• Have fair skin which burns easily
• Have blonder or red hair, or blue or green eyes
• Have reduced immunity or HIV
• Have moles – the more moles you have, the higher the risk
• Have another medical condition – such as Chron’s disease, ulcerative colitis or sarcoidosis
• Have received an organ transplant

The two most common types of NMSC are:

• Basal cell carcinomas (BCC) – Basal cell carcinoma begins in the basal cells of the skin, which are found at the bottom of the epidermis skin layer. BCCs typically remain in one place, but they can sometimes metastasize, or spread, to other nearby areas. In rare instances, they can spread to lymph nodes or other sites in the body. BCCs are the most common type of NMSC.
• Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) – Squamous cell carcinoma develops in the squamous cells, which make up the middle and outer layers of the skin. Although they’re not usually life-threatening, some high-risk SCCs have the potential to metastasize to lymph nodes or distant sites in the body. Treatment may be less successful if other parts of the body have been affected.

NSMC symptoms include:

• A pink or red spot that doesn’t heal
• A scaly area of skin that doesn’t heal
• Smooth lumps with a pearly appearance
• Red or dark colored spots or sores that don’t go away after one month
• Red or dark colored spots or sores that are painful, itchy or bleeding
• Broken skin which doesn’t improve within one month
• Red patches on your skin

Having one or more of these skin cancer symptoms doesn’t mean you have cancer, as they may be caused by other, benign (non-cancerous) conditions. It’s best to speak to your primary care physician for advice if you have any concerns.

The most common type of melanoma is superficial spreading melanoma, which starts by spreading across the top layer of the skin. Over time, it begins to grow deeper into the skin. Other types include, nodular, lentigo maligna, acral lentiginous, and amelanotic melanoma.

When caught early, melanoma can be easier to treat, and patients may have better outcomes.

The first sign of melanoma cancer is often a new spot on the skin, or change in size, shape or color of an existing mole. You may find that the spot is also bleeding, painful, inflamed or itchy.

A good way to remember the warning signs for melanoma is the A-B-C-D-E method:

• A is for asymmetrical – is the mole or spot irregularly shaped?
• B is for border – is the border jagged?
• C is for color – is the color uneven?
• D is for diameter – is it larger than the size of a pea?
• E is for evolving – has it changed during the past few weeks?

Having one or more of these skin cancer symptoms doesn’t mean you have cancer, as they may be caused by other, benign (non-cancerous) conditions. It’s best to speak to your primary care physician for advice if you have any concerns.