UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is part of the UPMC family.

Radiation Therapy for Endocrine and Thyroid Cancer

What Is Radiation Therapy?

Radiation therapy is a vital part of cancer care. Many people will have it as part of their endocrine cancer treatment.

Radiation therapy uses externally applied x-rays to kill cancer cells by damaging their DNA.

Doctors can use radiation therapy as a curative approach. It can also help manage endocrine cancer pain.

Often paired with chemotherapy, radiation therapy is either non-invasive or minimally invasive.

Radiation oncologists at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center work with their colleagues in medical oncology to tailor a treatment plan. They'll make sure you receive the right form of radiation at the right time for your type of endocrine cancer.

Radiation Therapy for Endocrine Cancers

Treatment approaches and courses vary based on:

  • The type, spread, and stage of endocrine cancer
  • Your overall health.
  • The goals of treatment.

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center radiation oncologists are among the nation's most experienced in conventional radiotherapy as well as the following advanced techniques:

  • 3D conformal radiation for endocrine cancers shapes the radiation beams to match the shape of the endocrine tumor.
  • CyberKnife® is robotic technology that allows us to perform radiosurgery and deliver stereotactic ablative radiation therapy.
  • Gamma Knife® lets us perform radiosurgery and reach deep-seated endocrine tumors.
  • Image-guided radiotherapy for endocrine cancers lets us image your tumor or target region before treatment. This optimizes the accuracy of radiation delivery.
  • Intensity-modulated radiation therapy allows us to sculpt the edges of the endocrine tumor. This lessens damage to nearby healthy tissue and reduces side effects.
  • Trilogy® uses an advanced linear accelerator that lets us target endocrine tumors using image-guided technology during treatment.

Advanced imaging techniques, including PET-CT, allow more precisely targeted radiation therapy. This spares healthy tissue near the endocrine tumor and reduces treatment-related side effects.

Contact Us About Endocrine and Thyroid Cancer

To learn more about Endocrine and Thyroid or to make an appointment, you can: