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South Fulton Medical Center's Cancer Program has been fully accredited by the American College of Surgeon's Commission on Cancer since 1988.
Radiation Oncology Planning and Review Conference
Expertise
The Cancer Team
Cancer Support Services
Each week, our radiation oncologists, physicists and therapists discuss treatment options for every new patient. The presentation of your care at this planning and review conference gives you the benefit of joint consultation before treatment begins.
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Our center provides both external and internal radiation therapy treatments. In external radiation therapy, our linear accelerator machine produces high energy X-rays to stop cancer cells from growing and multiplying. Before we begin external therapy, we use a treatment simulator to pinpoint the malignant (cancerous) areas as well as to customize each patient's treatment with computer-generated plans.
Brachytherapy, or internal radiation therapy, is administered by our radiation oncologists. This is done by implanting radioactive seeds directly into cancerous tissue.
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that has been around for more than 100 years. It has the ability to treat cancer in nearly every part of the body, either alone or in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy. Radiation therapy treatment affects both healthy and cancer cells, but most healthy cells can repair themselves naturally and may be able to recover quickly.
By planning treatment at regular internals and on multiple days, we achieve maximum effect of the radiation with the least disruption of your schedule. The actual number of treatments will depend on the cancer size, location and type.
Once your treatment course is complete, we make arrangements for your follow-up care.
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Every member of our staff, from the receptionist to the physicians, is concerned with and responsive to your needs. Our physicians work closely with referring physicians to set up a treatment plan that is sensitive to your lifestyle. Our team of specialists includes:
Board-certified radiation oncologists with years of training and experience in using radiation to treat cancer and other diseases.
A radiation physicist who monitors treatments and equipment.
A dosimitrist who operates our treatment planning computer and transfers this information to the therapists.
Radiation oncology nurses with special training to care for cancer patients receiving this kind of therapy. They closely observe patients before and after each treatment session.
The department administrator directs day-to-day business operations and can answer questions about the center and our services.
The front desk receptionist greets you as you enter and is available to answer questions about appointments.
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The Radiation Oncology program works in collaboration with the American Cancer Society and offers Look Good, Feel Better, a service that helps women currently undergoing cancer treatment learn to cope with appearance-related side effects and regain a sense of self-confidence and control over their lives.
South Fulton Medical Center also collaborates with Bosom Buddies to provide monthly breast cancer support group meetings that are held in the Radiation Oncology department.
The hospital's cancer committee and tumor board is comprised of a multi-disciplinary group of healthcare specialists who meet regularly to discuss diagnoses and patient care plans. This group gives newly diagnosed cancer patients the benefit of a team approach to cancer care.
In addition to patient care, South Fulton Medical Center's cancer program participates in a national cancer registry. The cancer registry is an information database used to monitor outcomes for cancer patients. The availability of this data at the state level allows health researchers to analyze geographic, racial, and other differences that provide clues that point to risk factors. This data also helps determine where early detection, educational or other programs should be directed.
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