Radiation therapy is a common cancer treatment, using high doses of radiation to eliminate cancer cells.
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center is a consistent leader in the field offering the most innovative and comprehensive services utilizing the latest technology available in the New York region. Through leadership in scientific discovery, diagnostic excellence and innovative new procedures, we have extended the possibilities of radiation therapies to provide our patients with the highest level of care.

Leading Radiation Therapy Care and Research

Most people with cancer may need some form of radiation therapy, either on its own or in combination with chemotherapy or surgery.

Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Department of Radiation Oncology is a national leader in multidisciplinary patient-centered clinical care. We use the latest form of proton therapy, known as pencil beam technology, with radiation suites equipped with some of the most advanced radiotherapeutic technology in the world, including the Halcyon 2.0 linear accelerator. We were the first hospital in the New York area to have the Radixact Treatment Delivery System for external beam radiation treatment.

Your diagnosis and lifestyle is unique to you, so we’ll create a customized treatment plan to meet your needs. Our cancer care experts work with you and your family to ensure you understand your radiation therapy options and the course of treatment.

Our goal is to achieve better radiation outcomes by:

  • Improving the effectiveness of radiation therapies
  • Minimizing discomfort
  • Protecting healthy cells
  • Reducing side effects

Montefiore Einstein’s involvement in clinical and translational research means you receive access to novel, cutting-edge scientific discoveries, new life-saving treatments and groundbreaking clinical trials at Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center.

We are accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR) for providing the highest level of image quality and safety meeting and exceeding all ACR requirements for equipment, medical personnel and quality assurance. We’re a founding member of the New York Proton Center, and pioneers in providing and advancing the latest radiation treatments and therapy options available.

About Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses intense beams of X-rays or protons to damage and eliminate cancer cells. The radiation energy damages the DNA of cancer cells, preventing them from growing and spreading.  

Radiation therapy can vary in its intensity and precision, targeting the tumor while protecting healthy cells. The therapy can be delivered externally, internally or in combination with other treatments.

We use advanced forms of radiation, including:

  • Brachytherapy and image-guided brachytherapy: Tiny radioactive pellets placed in your body close to or within a tumor.
  • External beam radiation therapy: Beams of radiation directed at a specific target from one or more different angles. This includes stereotactic radiation therapy and radiosurgery.
  • Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT): Targeted radiation that follows a tumor’s motion and spares normal tissue.
  • Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): Carefully calculated and shaped beams of radiation delivered in the maximum dose directly into the tumor, sparing healthy tissue.
  • Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT): Radiation therapy delivered during cancer surgery.
  • Proton therapy: Beams of energy from protons that precisely target an extremely specific area, limiting radiation doses from affecting surrounding areas of the body.
  • 4-D computed tomography planning and delivery (4D CT): A specialized treatment that tracks tumor movement during breathing and then delivers radiation only when the tumor sits within the treatment field.
Cartoon of two scientists working on a lab

As an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center supports the mission and guidelines of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The following information about types of cancer, prevention and treatments is provided by the NCI.