At Tacoma Valley Radiation Oncology Centers we’re passionate about our patients. Our caring and highly trained team will treat you like family while providing you with the most advanced treatment planning and sophisticated, cutting-edge radiation therapies with the highest level of quality and personalized care.
Our radiation therapy services are available in three convenient locations in Tacoma, Puyallup, and Gig Harbor. We also offer services at our affiliated locations in Olympia and Silverdale. We want to provide you with a peace of mind that comes with first-rate services and within your reach.
We know that veterans both deserve and need specialized care. Here at Tacoma Valley Radiation Oncology Centers, we are proud to serve our veterans.
“Dr. Bittner and the staff took such good care of me during my treatment and made an otherwise unpleasant experience much more comfortable. I will always remember the kindness and support I got from the entire staff!!”
"Everyone was very kind, caring and professional. I have only positive feedback."
Radiation is a special kind of energy carried by waves or a stream of particles. It can come from special machines or from radioactive substances. When radiation is used at high doses (many times those used for x-ray exams), it can be used to treat cancer and other illnesses. Special equipment is used to aim the radiation at tumors or areas of the body where there is disease. The use of high-energy rays or particles to treat disease is called radiation therapy. Sometimes it’s called radiotherapy, x-ray therapy, cobalt therapy, electron beam therapy, or irradiation.
High doses of radiation can kill cells or keep them from growing and dividing. Radiation therapy is a useful tool for treating cancer because cancer cells grow and divide more rapidly than many of the normal cells around them. Although some normal cells are affected by radiation, most normal cells appear to recover more fully from the effects of radiation than do cancer cells. Doctors carefully limit the intensity of treatments and the area being treated so that the cancer will be affected more than normal tissue.
Radiation therapy is an effective way to treat many kinds of cancer in almost any part of the body. Half of all people with cancer are treated with radiation, and the number of cancer patients who have been cured is rising every day. For many patients, radiation is the only kind of treatment needed. Thousands of people are free of cancer after having radiation treatments alone or in combination with surgery, chemotherapy, or biological therapy.
Like many other treatments for disease, there are risks for patients who are receiving radiation therapy. The brief high doses of radiation that damage or destroy cancer cells also can hurt normal cells. When this happens, the patient has side effects. The risk of side effects is usually less than the benefit of killing cancer cells.
Radiation therapy can be in either of two forms: external or internal. Some patients have both forms, one after the other.
Most people who receive radiation therapy for cancer have the external type. It is usually given during outpatient visits to a hospital or treatment center. In external therapy, a machine directs the high-energy rays or particles at the cancer and the normal tissue surrounding it.
If you are interested in learning more about Tacoma Radiation Oncology Center or would simply like more information about our services, contact us and a member of our team will respond accordingly.
At Tacoma Valley Radiation Oncology Centers we’re passionate about our patients. Our caring and highly trained team will treat you like family while providing you with the most advanced treatment planning and sophisticated, cutting-edge radiation therapies with the highest level of quality and personalized care.
