3330 Lomita Blvd., Torrance, CA 90505310-517-4750 • Fax 310-784-4886

www.TorranceMemorial.org

510 No. Prospect Ave., Suite 104Redondo Beach, CA 90277

310-891-6608 • Fax 310-374-5417

The Radiation Oncology department is located on the lower level (basement) of the medical center’s Outpatient Center.Parking is recommended in the West Parking structure on Medical Center Dr. The office is open from 8 a.m.

to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can phone our office at 310-517-4750 or for after-hours emergencies you can reach the radiation oncologists through the Medical Center operator at 310-325-9110.

Our Beach Cities location is located at 510 No. Prospect in Redondo Beach.

Radiation Oncologists — Dan Hovenstine, M.D.;Thyra Endicott, M.D.;and Tom Simko, M.D.

Please visit our website for more pictures & information:www.TorranceMemorial.org/radiationonc.htm

Torrance Memorial’s Cancer Center has a close network of professionals who provide support to patients in cancer treatment:

� Dieticians � Physical Therapists � Cancer Support Groups, � Social Workers � Home Health Cancer Lectures, and Literature� Image Enhancement Center � Hospice

To connect with any of these opportunities or to receive information about the Torrance Memorial Cancer Program,please contact our oncology nurse practitioner at the Cancer Resource Center at 310-517-4665 or ask a member ofour Radiation Oncology team.

Support Services Radiation Oncology

A CARINGTEAMAPPROACHThe Radiation Oncology treatment team at TorranceMemorial Medical Center provides patients compassionate, individualized treatment using computerized, modern technology. We deliver thishigh quality care as an integral component ofTorrance Memorial’s Comprehensive Cancer Center.

For the convenience of our patients, our departmentoffers treatment at two sites; Torrance Memorial andthe Beach Cities healthcare office complex.

The Consultation VisitPatients are welcome to bring family members or close friends tothis initial visit. In advance of this appointment, we request thatthe patient’s referring physician provide the Radiation Oncologydepartment with reports of pathology and imaging studies. If thepatient has copies of films, please bring them to the consultationappointment.

At this visit the patient will meet first with a Radiation Oncologynurse, and you will complete a health questionnaire. You will thenmeet with a physician (a Radiation Oncologist) for a review of yourmedical history and for a physical exam. The physician will reviewyour films and if needed, recommend further testing. We will coor-dinate our treatment with any other therapy you are receiving. It isat this appointment that the role of radiation therapy and the ben-efits and side effects will be discussed in detail. This appoint-ment usually takes a total of about two hours.

We participate in a number of National Cancer Institute clinicaltrials. If you are an appropriate candidate for one of these trialswe will discuss this with you at the time of your consultation.

The Planning ProcessPatients are scheduled for a "simulation" appointment to plan the radiation therapy. At this appointment we determine your treatment position, and any immobilization aids to keep you verystill but as comfortable as possible. A CT scan will be taken. Thisvisit allows the radiation oncology professionals to plan the bestcourse for treating your cancer while protecting healthy tissue.

At this session, patients are given very tiny, blue tattoos to ensureaccurate set-up for each subsequent treatment. The simulationappointment takes between 45 minutes to two hours. The firsttreatment often starts three to five working days after the simulation appointment. The length of treatment varies with each patient and their cancer, but is usually between one andeight weeks.

How Radiation Therapy WorksThe photon beam used in radiation treatment is the same kind ofbeam used in ordinary chest x-rays or CT scans. However, it hasmuch higher energy and can cause changes in the nucleus ofcells. Both normal tissues and the tumor tissues will undergothese tiny breaks; however the normal cells will repair thesechanges better than tumor cells can. Patients will not feel theinvisible beam passing through them. External Beam Radiation isa local treatment. It only works where we aim the beam. Theradiation does not circulate through your body and your friendsand family are not exposed to any radiation.

For some cancers, an implant is used to deliver the radiation therapy. In some gynecologic cancers, radioactive rods are placedwithin the vagina or uterus for a short time, to deliver highly localized radiation.

Adverse effects vary from patient to patient and are determined bythe location of the treatment, the dose required for treatment andthe patients’ pre-existing condition. The radiation oncologist,nurse and therapist will discuss the likely side effects with eachpatient individually.

Every aspect of the patient’s care is given meticulous attention toensure that the patient is treated efficiently and precisely and willexperience the fewest possible side effects. Our physicists,dosimetrists and radiation therapists conduct daily, weekly andmonthly checks on the department’s equipment to ensure optimumperformance. The treatment team has weekly meetings whereevery patient’s treatment is reviewed and discussed in detail.

Radiation Therapy ServicesThe department of Radiology Oncology offers a full array of radiation services, including:

� IMRT � Digital Imaging� Intracavitary Therapy � Interstitial Therapy� CT, MRI and PET fusion � High Dose Rate Brachytherapy� 3-D Conformal Radiation Therapy� Conventional External Beam Radiation Therapy� Partial Breast Brachytherapy

Our equipment includes:� Clinac 2100C � Clinac iX Linear Accelerator� Portal Vision � Clinac 6X� ARIA Record and Verify System� Philips Brilliance Large-Bore CT Simulator� Eclipse Treatment Planning System

Intensity Modulation Radiation Therapy (IMRT)Some cancers are best treated using an advanced techniquecalled IMRT. IMRT makes use of a computer program that evaluates millions of possible beam arrangements and produces a clinically optimized plan that is then reviewed by our physiciansand physicists to determine the final treatment plan. An IMRTtreatment plan may consist of a hundred tiny beamlets to “paint”a target with higher radiation while sparing nearby healthy organssignificantly more than traditional radiation therapy. This mayresult in fewer short- and long-term side effects.

At Torrance Memorial, we are able to superimpose different sets of images such as CT, MRI and PET scanning and “fuse” theseimages in our radiation planning system to give the highest definition of the target. Our IMRT process for prostate treatmentincludes daily localization of the prostate using tiny gold markersplaced within the prostate tissue. The result is better accuracyin targeting the prostate and avoiding the rectum and bladder.