Department of Radiation Oncology

The Department of Radiation Oncology was founded in 1997. With 21-year endeavor, it now contains radiotherapy clinic, radiotherapy inpatient department, radiotherapy department, and radiation physics and engineering department, becoming an independent discipline combining medicine, education and research with great comprehensive competitiveness, perfect techniques, advanced equipment and standard treatment. Owning 7 professors and associate professors, 2 Master supervisors, the department is an authorized awarding point of doctor and master degree. And as the forefront runner of treatment, education, and research in onco-radiotherapy in Shaanxi Province, we are now the chairman unit of the Radiation Oncology Professional Committee of Shaanxi Provincial Health Care Association.

The department of radiation oncology now owns 53 beds, 51 health care providers, among which 16 are doctors (including 6 with doctor degree, 10 with master degree), 4 physicists, 1 senior engineer and 13 technicians. The department has formed a complete clinical therapeutic standard, leading by specialists in head and neck cancer, thoracic cancer, abdominal cancer and gynecologic cancer. The comprehensive treatment featured on radiotherapy has showed excellent effect, which greatly improved the patient’s survival rate and life quality, and relieved their misery. By now, we have cured cancer patients from all over China.

Radiotherapy Equipment

2 sets US Varian Medical Electron Linear Accelerator (Trilogy and 21EX models), 1 set large-aperture spiral CT simulation positioning machine, 1 set Brachytherapy treatment system, 1 set X-ray stereotactic treatment system (X-knife), 3 sets multi-leaf collimator (MLC) equipped with EPID and EBCT image guidance system, 3 sets reserve treatment planning system (TPS), 6 sets doctor workstation with complete dose measurement and treatment verification system.

Professional Therapeutic Technology

Three Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT): Align the geometry of the field with the shape of the tumor (target area) in orientation of three dimensions, along which the tumor (target area) is radiated by a plurality of conformal irradiation fields. This could enhance radiation dose to kill tumor cells more efficiently, to protect surrounding normal tissues and to reduce radiotherapy complications. Our department has successfully carried out the treatment method for many years and has accumulated a wealth of experience.

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT): A more advanced precise radiotherapy technology based on 3D-CRT. It can not only keep the shape of each irradiation field consistent with tumor (target area), but also adjust the dose intensity at each point in the target area according to the therapy efficiently. The utilization of this method can eliminate tumor cells more completely, thus protect surrounding organs effectively – especially the important tissues and organs in or near the target area, reducing the radiotherapy complications and adverse reactions, improving post-operation life quality.

Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT): Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) apply image systems (EPID, CBCT, and etc.) to constantly correct the target shifts caused by errors (such as planning, placement and organ motion), which fully considers the movement of organs and target areas between or during the radiotherapy. Use advanced image equipment to monitor the tumor and important organ, and adjust the therapy conditions according to the position and shape of organ and target area to make irradiation field ‘follow’ target area tightly, and achieve the ‘conformal’ radiotherapy in true sense. Its unique clinical advantages and technical characteristics have been recognized by domestic and foreign colleagues.

Stereotactic X-knife: Applying linear accelerator X-ray as the radio source, this machine uses advanced stereo positioning technology, treatment planning, 3D reconstruction system, and geometric stereoscopic focusing principle to make target area obtain the maximum dose of radiation with multiple small fields or rotating centering techniques. At the same time, normal tissues surrounding the lesion are only exposed to low-dose radiation.

Respiratory Gated Assisted Radiation Therapy: To locate the target area more accurately by controlling respiratory movements. Its principles can be summarized to two types: one is to limit machine, which means to set detector to detect respiratory movement and interrupt the irradiation when respiration exceeds the limited range; another is to limit patients, which means to utilize the respiration controlling device to control breath and perform treatment when the respiratory movements reaches threshold. This makes the respiratory movement in diagnostic location and treatment implementation consistent.

Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (Rapid-Arc): Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) is a radiation therapy system that applies curved radiation technology. Like common linear accelerator, it uses high-energy to cure cancer, but through single-arc and multi-arc method to achieve intensity modulated radiation therapy. In VMAT, the machine nose continuously rotates from one angle to another, a process in which the collimator and multi-leaf grating are continuously adjusted to maintain continuous irradiation. Comparing to common intensity modulated therapy, it advantages in shorter treatment time, higher speed, and better conformity for some tumors in the treatment plan, especially for tumors with deviation from center to surrounding. VMAT is usually combined with image guided radiation therapy to ensure the accuracy of treatment.

Specialist Clinic

    Ma Hongbing (Professor): Mon. & Thur. Morning

    Wang Yali (Professor): Mon. & Wed. Morning

    Wang Zhongwei (Associate Professor): Tues. & Thur. Morning

    Bai Minghua (Associate Professor): Tues. & Wed. Morning

    Jin Yingying (Associate Professor): Mon. & Wed. Afternoon

    Wang Baofeng (Associate Professor): Tues. & Thurs. Afternoon

    Ren Hongtao (Associate Professor): Mon. & Wed. Afternoon