Overview
Now cancer patients in east central Minnesota and western Wisconsin have access to the University of Minnesota Physicians standard of excellence. Located on the campus of Fairview Lakes Regional Medical Center, the Radiation Therapy Center makes it possible for patients to receive radiation therapy treatments closer to home.

Phone Numbers
To make an appointment: 651-982-3520 or toll free 1-866-842-8565
Direct Nurse Line: 651-982-3520

Clinic Location
Radiation Therapy Center
Fairview Lakes Regional Medical Office Building
5160 Fairview Boulevard, Suite 1100
Wyoming, MN 55092

Clinic Hours
Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Clinic Chair(s):  Kathryn Dusenbery, MD

Providers in the Practice


Care Provided
Our physicians provide care for many medical conditions including (but not limited to) the following:


Treatments and Procedures
Our physicians offer a comprehensive array of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and consultation including:

• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
• Computerized Tomography (CT) Simulator
• Treatment Planning Computer System
• Dual Energy Linear Accelerator with Multileaf Collimator and Electronic Portal Imaging capabilities
  

Our team is dedicated to providing innovative and compassionate care for cancer patients. We focus on developing individual treatment plans using the latest in treatment options to assure the best possible patient care outcome.

What to Expect

Your initial visit: consultation for radiation therapy

Your first visit to the Radiation Therapy Center is called a consultation. The purpose of the consultation is for you to meet with the radiation oncologist to discuss your radiation treatment options. You are welcome to bring along any family/friends with you to this visit. It is also encouraged that you bring along a current medication list.

Upon arrival, check in at our reception desk. Please have your insurance card with you. One of our radiation oncology nurses will meet with you to discuss your health history and offer educational information on cancer and the role of radiation therapy. The radiation oncologist will review your medical history, radiology studies (CT, MRI scans etc.), laboratory results and, if you have undergone surgery or a biopsy, pathology reports. A physical examination will also be performed.

Although you may have been examined by other doctors prior to your consultation, the examination by the radiation oncologist is a critical part of your visit. Abnormalities may be discovered not noticed before by other doctors. During this visit, your treatment options will be presented. The radiation oncologist will also discuss the benefits and potential risks of radiation therapy and fully answer all your questions.

If additional tests are required prior to selecting the appropriate treatment course, these tests will be ordered and scheduled for you. Finally, in consultation with your other physicians, a decision will be made about whether radiation therapy is the best form of treatment for you.

Understanding radiation therapy: What is external beam radiation therapy? When is it used?

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is delivered by a machine called a linear accelerator. The radiation destroys cancerous tumors and cells by creating a reaction in the cells and this reaction damages the genetic material that controls cell growth.  Normally, cells can repair themselves and continue growing. But since cancer cells can't repair themselves as easily, they die.

Our doctors (radiation oncologists) are extremely careful to limit damage to healthy tissue by precisely targeting radiation beams directly at the cancerous area and by dividing treatments into several small sessions, called fractions. A typical treatment course is delivered by receiving radiation therapy for five days in a row, with a rest over the weekend. Receiving small frequent doses with brief rests limits damage to healthy cells, while effectively destroying cancer cells.

Radiation therapy may be used for a curative treatment or for a palliative treatment (where cure is not possible and the aim is for local disease control or symptomatic relief).  Radiation therapy can be used in conjuction with other cancer treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy or hormone therapy.

Treatment: what to expect

• Pre-treatment
  Once radiation therapy is chosen as a treatment option, the radiation oncologist will order a treatment planning CT scan. He or she works closely with a medical radiation physicist, who ensures linear accelerators and other equipment deliver the proper amount of radiation, and a dosimetrist, who has special training in planning radiation therapy sessions to develop a precisely customized treatment plan. Your treatments will typically begin within the next week, although each course of treatment is different and could require more or less time to plan.
  
  
• Treatment days
  When you return for treatment you will check in, and a radiation therapist will greet you and escort you to the treatment room. Depending upon the specific part of your body to be treated, you may need to change to a gown. If so, you will be escorted to a private changing room with secure lockers in which you may store your personal belongings.  Please remember to bring the locker key with you when you leave the changing area.  You will also be asked to verify your birth date and treatment area as a form of identification.

Radiation therapists generally work as a team to deliver treatment; therefore you will likely have more than one therapist with you. Depending on the type of treatment you are receiving, you can expect to be in the treatment room for 15-30 minutes. Most of this time will be used for positioning and verifying your customized treatment. When the radiation is on, you will not see or feel anything. You will hear the linear accelerator “buzzing” as the radiation dose is delivered. 

After your first treatment, you should go home feeling just how you did when you came in. There are, however, specific types of cancer treatments that may carry side effects – which will have been discussed with you during your physician consultation. Since you will most likely be coming on a daily basis, don’t hesitate to ask questions. Some ways to care for yourself while receiving daily radiation therapy include getting plenty of rest, following your doctors orders, eating a nutrious diet, caring for your skin, and seeking help when you need it. 

• On-treatment visits (OTV)
  You will formally meet with your treating radiation oncologist once per week. This visit is called an on-treatment visit (OTV). This is a good day to bring family members or supportive friends who may wish to speak with your radiation oncologist. If you are experiencing a problem, you may see your physician on any day. Simply tell your radiation therapist and/or radiation nurse that you would like to see the physician and this will be arranged.

Post treatment: your last treatment visit
After your final treatment you will once again meet with the radiation nurse and radiation oncologist. Tell your radiation nurse and radiation oncologist how you are feeling and ask any questions you may have. Your physician will prescribe medications as necessary. 

At this visit, you will be given an appointment for a follow-up visit which is generally two to six weeks following the completion of therapy.

• Monitoring how you are doing                                  
  Follow-up visits are very important for the radiation oncologist to monitor your progress as well as address any side effects you may be experiencing. After your initial follow-up visit, follow-ups are generally scheduled at three and six month intervals, depending on your case and how you are doing. 
  
  Just as every patient is different, follow-up care varies. Your radiation oncologist will prescribe and schedule the follow-up care that you need. Don't hesitate to ask about the tests or treatments that your doctor orders.
  

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