The Ochsner Center for Radiation Oncology offers the most advanced radiation treatment procedures and equipment in the Gulf South, as well as the most experienced, well-trained personnel who provide treatments customized for each patient. Other specialized services at Ochsner include:

• Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
• Sterotactic radiosurgery/therapy using conformal fields of IMRT
• Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) with the Varian Trilogy Linear accelerator, the first of its kind in the City of New Orleans

The Ochsner Radiation Team consists of two radiation oncologists, two MS physicists, two dosimetrists, six therapists and two nurses. Although each physician treats all forms of cancer, each doctor has specific areas of interest, including breast and prostate cancers, brain tumors and the treatment of children with cancer.

Demonstrating their commitment to the needs of children with cancer, Ochsner staff members, working with their pediatric patients, have developed The Radiation Therapy Coloring and Activity Book: A Child's Eye View of Radiation Therapy to help explain radiation therapy to children.

The Ochsner Radiation Therapy Team deals with the anxieties of patients and their families in many ways. The staff has produced a videotape to show patients prior to treatment, explaining how radiation works to control cancer and what can be expected during and after treatment. The oncology nurses and staff make a concerted effort to prepare patients to prevent and recognize side effects of treatment, to encourage their questions and to actively participate in the treatment process.

A customized treatment plan is prescribed for each patient, which is designed by computer simulation. The Ochsner Center for Radiation Oncology is dedicated to individualized quality care of patients and prides itself on the abilities and compassion of its staff.

For more information, the Radiation Oncology staff can be contacted at 504-842-3440.