Cancer Care
Radiation Therapy

St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI) is dedicated to providing state-of-the-art radiation therapy services that take advantage of the great strides that have been made in treating and curing cancer.

We know that treating cancer means more than treating the disease. It means compassion, support, and encouragement for patients and families when cancer touches their lives. That’s why the radiation therapy experts at St. Luke’s MSTI provide not only the latest, most effective medical care, but also the personal, human touch that lets our patients know we’re with them all the way.

St. Luke’s MSTI offers several systemic radiation therapies, such as radioimmunotherapy. In this cutting-edge treatment, radiation is attached to an antibody, which selectively targets certain types of cancer cells, such as lymphomas.

What is radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy uses high doses of radiation to destroy cancer cells (tumors). Radiation damages the genetic material of cells in the area being treated, leaving the cells unable to continue to grow. Although radiation damages normal cells as well as cancer cells, the normal cells usually can repair themselves and function, while the cancer cells cannot.

Radiation therapy is used for many different types of cancers, such as bladder cancer, endometrial cancer, and prostate cancer.

Custom-tailored radiotherapy

St. Luke’s MSTI offers a comprehensive range of the latest radiation therapy techniques and equipment in order to provide each patient with the most suitable treatment for his or her unique condition. Some of these include:

IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy):
An advanced procedure delivered on a treatment machine called a linear accelerator, IMRT utilizes multiple radiation beams and angles, together with highly complex blocking, to control the intensity of the radiation. The ability to focus a higher dose on the tumor, while reducing the radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues and critical structures of the body, increases the effectiveness of the radiation and reduces side effects.

IGRT (Image Guided Radiation Therapy):
Equipment attached directly to some linear accelerators allows an x-ray or CT scan to be taken and checked before treatment begins, ensuring that the patient is in exactly the correct position to receive the highly focused radiation.

Stereotactic radiosurgery:
This technique delivers a very precise high dose of radiation to small tumors in the brain.

Brachytherapy: Bringing radiotherapy to the source

High precision is the key to today’s radiation therapy. At St. Luke’s MSTI, we have the technology to locate and treat tumors with pinpoint accuracy, allowing our specialists to use high doses of radiation while minimizing the risk of harm to surrounding tissue.

Internal radiation therapy brings radioactive materials inside the patient’s body directly to the tumor, allowing for a concentrated dose to a small area. St. Luke’s MSTI is equipped to provide several distinct methods of internal therapy, depending on a patient’s specific conditions or needs. This type of treatment includes radioactive seeds implanted directly into the prostate; and high dose brachytherapy, delivered through catheters, that is used to treat breast, prostate, and gynecological cancers.

Engaging the brightest minds

The physicians and staff in St. Luke’s MSTI’s Radiation Oncology Department are carefully selected for their knowledge, skill, and compassion. Their dedication to giving patients the best possible care is supported through ongoing education and training. Five radiation oncologists and a committed staff of specially trained experts work together to carefully plan and deliver each patient’s treatment, and manage their care. The devotion of the St. Luke’s Radiation Oncology team is vital to the success of our patients.

Health Library

For more information, please visit the Radiation Therapy topic in the Healthwise® Knowledgebase .

Exceptional care, close to home

St. Luke’s MSTI is the region’s leader in cancer services. We provide leading-edge care to thousands of cancer patients each year at clinics in Boise, Fruitland, Meridian, Nampa, and Twin Falls.

See Other Services and Therapies offered by St. Luke's MSTI