The Radiation Oncology Center at Baptist Health Lexington

The Radiation Oncology Center at Baptist Health Lexington treats patients with cancer using some of the most precise and effective radiation technologies available. As one of the area’s most advanced radiation treatment centers, our services are fully integrated with Baptist Health Lexington’s excellent medical care. We work together to provide each patient with expert treatment, wellness and education resources, and support services throughout his or her cancer care journey.

Pioneering Radiation Oncology Treatments

Baptist Health Lexington has long been a pioneer in innovative approaches to treating cancer, and we offer radiation oncology treatments based on the latest research and technological advancements. Our external and internal radiation therapies include:

Accuray Radixact: A specialized treatment machine that delivers radiation for complex cancers using a type of radiation called intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). It is a linear accelerator combined with a CT scanner, which allows for simultaneous imaging for confirmation and radiation treatment delivery. Because the radiation beams are divided over the entire circumference around a patient, or in a helical arc, we have a much greater ability to spare important parts of the body that we wish to avoid. Treatments can be delivered much faster than with standard radiation machines. The machine represents the latest “smart” technology, which communicates with the treatment planning system, allowing us to revise the treatment plan as a patient’s cancer shrinks. The end result is a safer, faster and more precise radiation treatment, which could result in higher success rates and fewer side effects for our patients. The Accuray Radixact will enable us to treat those more advanced cancers in challenging locations that are not quite small enough for stereotactic radiosurgery and possibly too complicated for a conventional radiation treatment machine.

CyberKnife® stereotactic radiosurgery: Baptist Health Lexington is the only hospital in the region to offer CyberKnife treatment. CyberKnife treatments use image-guided robotics to destroy tumors (cancerous and benign) and lesions in the head, neck, spine and other areas of the body – including tumors that may be considered inoperable or otherwise untreatable. During CyberKnife treatment, tumors are targeted with beams of ultra-precise, high-energy radiation that conform to their shape while preserving nearby critical structures and healthy tissue. CyberKnife is a noninvasive stereotactic robotic radiosurgery that can target tumors anywhere in the body. 

Benefits include:

• Painless-requires no anesthesia
• Noninvasive- there is no incision
• No recovery time- you can return to normal activities immediately
• Requires five or fewer treatments
• Sub-millimeter accuracy delivers a large dose of radiation per treatment

Linear accelerator (linac): A linac uses electricity to create high-energy radiation that can be used to treat cancer in all parts of the body, prevent it from returning, stop or slow its growth, or manage symptoms. The number of linac treatments varies depending on the type of cancer being treated. After radiation treatment, cancer cells may take weeks or months to die. If you undergo linac treatment, you will not pose any radiation threats to others post-treatment.

Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT): IGRT uses CT, ultrasound or other imaging techniques to ensure your radiation therapy is accurate and reduce the chance of damaging healthy cells.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): IMRT uses three-dimensional, computer-generated images to show the size and shape of your tumor. IMRT allows for a smaller treatment field, reducing damage to healthy tissue near the tumor.

High dose radiation (HDR): This therapy delivers a higher-than-conventional radiation dose directly to the tumor. Not all tumors are treatable using HDR. 

• Brachytherapy for gynecologic cancers: Brachytherapy places a radiation source directly at the cancer lesion on your skin’s surface.  The radiation destroys the cancer cells.  It will leave the tissue around the area unharmed.  This treatment can be ordered for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), including basal cell carcinoma (BCC), or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).  It is very useful for cases when the area being treated is very visible, sensitive, or in certain areas of the body. Treatments, called fractions, are usually two times per week.  You will return for more sessions until your treatment is over.  Most people have a total of 6 to 10 treatments.  Most visits are less than 30 minutes.  This type of treatment usually has little effect on your normal day.
• Brachytherapy for Skin Cancer: Brachytherapy places a radiation source directly at the cancer lesion on your skin’s surface.  The radiation destroys the cancer cells.  It will leave the tissue around the area unharmed.  This treatment can be ordered for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), including basal cell carcinoma (BCC), or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).  It is very useful for cases when the area being treated is very visible, sensitive, or in certain areas of the body. Treatments, called fractions, are usually two times per week.  You will return for more sessions until your treatment is over.  Most people have a total of 6 to 10 treatments.  Most visits are less than 30 minutes.  This type of treatment usually has little effect on your normal day.

With You Every Step of the Way

If you need radiation treatments for cancer, you can count on the compassionate and skilled team at the Radiation Oncology Center at Baptist Health Lexington to be with you every step of the way. Our staff includes radiation oncologists, a radiation oncology surgeon, radiation therapists, radiation oncology nurses, a dosimetrist and a radiation physicist. From helping you prepare for your radiation oncology procedure to listening carefully to your questions and clearly explaining everything you need to know along the way, you’ll appreciate our careful attention and support.

Our Team

The team at the Radiation Oncology Center at Baptist Health Lexington works together to provide the highest level of care for every patient. Each team member is highly trained in performing or supporting radiation oncology procedures and in meeting the individual needs of our patients.

Preparing for Your Procedure

Preparing for your procedure is an important way to assure your best results. We will carefully explain your specific procedure to you so you understand what you will feel and what will happen. Typically, you will first meet with your radiation oncologist and you may be referred for pretreatment tests like bloodwork and a CT scan, MRI or PET scan. These tests will help our team determine the exact type, size, shape and location of your tumor so we can create a customized treatment plan that provides the necessary radiation dose to the precise location of your tumor without damaging surrounding healthy tissue.

Comfort and Convenience

We strive to make every part of your radiation oncology treatment experience as comfortable and convenient as possible. The Radiation Oncology Center at Baptist Health Lexington is on the lower level of the Baptist Health Lexington Cancer Center (main Baptist Health Lexington campus), located at 1700 Nicholasville Road. At the Radiation Oncology Center, you’ll have access to a full range of support services during and after your treatment.

Awards and Recognition

Baptist Health Lexington is proud to have been the first hospital in Kentucky to offer CyberKnife radiosurgery treatment for cancer. And, Baptist Health Lexington takes pride in its many quality achievements in cancer care, including:

• Being Kentucky’s first community hospital accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers
• American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer accreditation
• American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet® Status recognition
• 2014 Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation – Employer Recognition Award
• Accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR)