Treatments Tailored to the Needs of Patients.
UPMC Hillman’s Department of Radiation Oncology is a recognized leader in clinical care, research, and education. We treat patients across a large, integrated network that includes prestigious academic medical centers and thoughtfully designed community practices close to home. Each year, through our 26 locations in the U.S. and four international partnerships, we care for nearly 13,000 people. Each Hillman Cancer Center facility embraces our standard of clinical excellence and provides access to clinical trials. Our physicians deliver customized, leading-edge radiotherapy using the most advanced equipment and techniques, such as stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT).
Radiopharmaceutical Therapy
The UPMC Hillman Department of Radiation Oncology is on the forefront of an exciting approach to treat metastatic cancer called radiopharmaceutical therapy. During these treatments, patients are intravenously administered an infusion of cancer-targeting molecules linked with radioactive elements to deliver radiation directly to cancer cells. Radiopharmaceuticals can reach tumors that would otherwise be too small, plentiful, or diffuse to treat with other methods. In addition to treating patients, the UPMC Hillman team is actively engaged in clinical and translational research to expand the utility of radiopharmaceuticals and precisely measure and personalize radiopharmaceutical therapy treatments for patients.
Low dose radiation (LDRT) for arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions.
In addition to expert care of cancer and non-cancerous tumors, our Department of Radiation Oncology has recently began offering LDRT for multiple musculoskeletal conditions. LDRT has a strong anti-inflammatory effect and is an established treatment for inflammatory disorders such as osteoarthritis. This procedure has been shown to relieve pain, reduce the need for steroid injections, and improve mobility, with most patients experiencing symptomatic improvement and minimal side effects. The radiation doses used are much lower than those used for treating cancer and treatment can typically be completed in six to eight office visits.