Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, N.J., has been a pioneer and leader in Radiation Oncology in northeastern New Jersey since 1968. Since that time, there has been a steady increase in the application of new technologies in the treatment of cancer. For more than 30 years, the Department of Radiation Oncology at Saint Barnabas has delivered the most comprehensive and up-to-date services in a caring and supportive environment.

Cancer Treatment

The Department of Radiation Oncology at Saint Barnabas operates one of the largest cancer treatment programs in northern New Jersey and is a regional referral center. Each year, the Department treats more than 1,000 cancer patients. Some of the most common cancers treated in the Department include: breast, prostate, colorectal, head and neck, central nervous system, pediatric, lung, gynecological and lymphomatous cancers.

A Team Approach

In conjunction with The Cancer Center of Saint Barnabas, the Department of Radiation Oncology holds combined cancer evaluation sessions on many types of malignancies. These conferences ensure that physicians representing a multitude of specialties will provide a therapeutic regimen tailored to the needs of each patient. Integrative treatment programs may include surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy for the total comprehensive treatment of patients with specific stages and types of cancers.

A Specially Trained Staff

The Department of Radiation Oncology consists of a staff of board-certified radiation oncologists, physicists, dosimetrists, radiation therapists, and nurse specialists as well as administrative support personnel. In addition, the Department maintains a one-year program in radiation therapy technology, one of only two such programs in the state.

State-of-the-Art Technology

Due to the significant changes in technology in the past 10 years, Saint Barnabas Medical Center has remained committed to expanding and maintaining its state-of-the-art treatment capabilities. The radiotherapy suite is equipped with three linear accelerators, a state-of-the-art AcQSim simulator in conjunction with a Precision Therapy International Render-Plan 3D planning system and a fluoroscopic x-ray localization system. The Radiation Oncology Department offers precise conformal therapy, which optimizes therapeutic doses of radiation to the tumor and minimizes the dose to normal tissues.

In addition, The Department of Radiation Oncology at Saint Barnabas is the first in New Jersey to offer TomoTherapy, a revolutionary new way to treat cancer with radiation.

Tumors of the lung, esophagus and gynecological cancers may be treated with the HDR Selectron that utilizes a high dose rate remote afterloading system. Use of this system eliminates the necessity for an overnight stay in the hospital for patients requiring interstitial or intracavitary radiation.

For prostate cancer patients, the Radiation Oncology Department has developed a program in which a patient can elect, based upon his stage and risk, to have either conformal external beam radiation therapy or permanent radioactive seed implants planned under ultrasound guidance using either Iodine-135 or Palladium-103. The ultrasound unit is also employed for staging of rectal cancer.

A Commitment to the Well-Being of Each Patient

Board-certified radiation oncologists are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to alleviate concerns and manage any medical problems that might arise. In addition to providing state-of-the-art cancer treatment, the Department of Radiation Oncology at Saint Barnabas Medical Center prides itself on the ability to provide a caring and supportive environment for all of its patients and their families.