Your Care at NYP

Radiation Oncology

Radiation oncology is often a key component in the fight against cancer. Radiation therapy targets malignant cells with controlled doses of high-energy radiation, destroying cancer or slowing its growth without harming healthy nearby cells.

Radiation therapy may be administered from an external machine or by placing radioactive material inside the body near the cancer cells.

Why Choose Us

The radiation oncology teams at our two top-tier cancer centers, the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center of New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Weill Cornell Medicine Meyer Cancer Center, have formed a dynamic partnership to bring patients the highest quality, most compassionate and personalized care. These exceptional physician-scientists are advancing the field with groundbreaking research on the benefits of radiation treatment for cancer with approaches that regard the unique genetics of a patient's tumor and spare as much nearby tissue as possible.

Your multidisciplinary care team creates a comprehensive care plan tailored to your unique disease and genetic profile. From the very first screening through recovery, our goal is to provide you with the safest and most effective therapy, delivered quickly to cure your cancer and maximize your quality of life.

Our Cutting-Edge Radiation Oncology Technology

Our Technology

At NewYork-Presbyterian, we are continually committed to incorporating the latest evidence-based radiation treatment technologies into your care. Many of our doctors are international leaders on the advancement of these technologies to improve your treatment outcomes. We offer:

Technologies

At NewYork-Presbyterian, we are continually committed to incorporating the latest evidence-based radiation treatment technologies into your care. We offer:

Adaptive radiation therapy and advanced imaging to make changes to your personalized radiation treatment daily, adapting to your tumor's size and the movement of nearby organs.
Ethos™ Adaptive Radiation Linear Accelerator leverages artificial intelligence to provide adaptive radiation treatments in less than 30 minutes per treatment for cancers of the anus, bladder, cervix, head and neck, endometrium, esophagus, pancreas, prostate and rectum. NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia is the only site in New York City to offer this therapy and has the second busiest program in the country.
Gamma Knife ICON and Stereotactic Radiosurgery – a noninvasive system which targets multiple areas of the brain simultaneously without the need for a head frame. This treatment was first available at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia and is now offered at both cancer centers.
Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is radiation therapy that is administered during surgery directly in the operating room. This procedure is performed at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia for cancers of the eye, breast, abdomen and pelvis.
Hypofractionated radiation therapy delivers faster, shorter courses of therapy and is available for many cancers such as breast, prostate and rectal.
Prone radiation therapy for breast cancer which reduces exposure to nearby heart and lungs.
Partial Breast Irradiation for breast cancer where you can deliver your treatment in one week.
Deep breath hold radiation to minimize breast radiation exposure to the heart and lungs.
MRI-guided external bean and brachytherapy is used to treat gynecologic and other types of cancers.
CT Simulation and Treatment Planning
Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT)
Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) , including volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) - RapidArc
Prostate Seed Implants
3D conformal radiation
4D CT treatment planning and delivery
Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT)
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)
Total body irradiation (TBI) before bone marrow transplant
Total lymphoid (nodal) irradiation (TLI) for transplant rejection
Total body electrons (TBE) for mycosis fungoides (a type of skin lymphoma)
Radioactive eye plaques for melanoma
Multiple radiation immunotherapy trials
Focused ultrasound trial for pediatric and adult brain cancers are available at the Columbia campus.

Cancers We Treat

All of our radiation oncologists specialize in a particular disease site, such as:

A radiation oncology specialist reviews treatment options with a patient

Our Approach to Care

At NewYork-Presbyterian, our radiation oncology centers are experienced in providing radiation therapy for children, adolescents, and adults.

Multidisciplinary care

At NewYork-Presbyterian, our radiation oncologists work closely with internationally recognized researchers and clinicians to bring together the best approaches for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of many types of cancer, all in one hospital.

NewYork-Presbyterian multidisciplinary cancer team discussing a treatment plan

Experts in surgery, hematology, medical oncology, neuro-oncology, urological oncology, radiation therapy, pathology, nursing, social work and psychology strive to meet the needs of each patient to create a personalized treatment plan. We collaborate on multidisciplinary tumor boards for every disease site, enabling us to pool our expertise and customize your care to your personal needs.

Radiotherapy is often combined with other cancer treatments. We offer a full range of treatment options for various forms of cancer, including:

Radiation therapy - Our radiation oncologists have advanced training in adult and pediatric cancer care.
Chemotherapy - Often combined with radiation therapy, chemotherapy uses powerful drugs to destroy cancer cells. It can be administered by an IV drip or in pill form.
Surgery - Our goal is to use minimally invasive surgery for faster recovery times and to preserve your quality of life.
Stem cell and bone marrow transplantation - For adults, teens, and children with cancerous blood disorders such as leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, sick cell anemia, and more.
Targeted medical therapy - Aims directly at cancer cell proteins, interfering with their ability to grow, divide, and spread.
Immunotherapy - Utilizing specialized medicines, immunotherapy can empower your own immune system to fight and destroy cancer cells.
Focused ultrasound - Columbia has clinical trials that use focused ultrasound to open up the natural barrier in the brain to let the chemotherapy better penetrate and work with the radiation to improve outcomes for adult and pediatric brain cancers.

Whole person care during radiation therapy treatment

The goal at NewYork-Presbyterian is to treat the whole individual, not just the cancer. We'll create a treatment plan specific to your unique disease and genetic profile. In addition to our radiation oncologists, multidisciplinary care, and tumor boards, our compassionate nurses, patient navigators, and staff are here to support your mind, body, and spirit.

Radiation therapy can last for weeks. Your cancer care team will work to make the experience as comfortable as possible. If necessary, we can connect you with other experts—dietitians, physical therapists, and speech pathologists to help manage radiation oncology side effects. For children, Child Life specialists are also available.

Comprehensive patient support services

Our patient support services go beyond radiation treatments. During your recovery and remission, we offer psychological counseling, support groups, pain management tips, and medical advice on healthy habits, exercise, and nutrition.

We offer patient web portals offering easy access to test results, appointments, and follow-up care.

Convenient radiation treatment closer to home

In addition to NewYork-Presbyterian locations in Manhattan, our doctors also treat patients at NewYork-Presbyterian locations in Queens, Brooklyn, and Westchester. We have an integrated system for reviewing each case as one team to offer world-class radiation care locations closer to home.

Latest Research

NewYork-Presbyterian is propelling the radiation oncology field forward by researching the latest treatments. Our latest investigations include:

FLASH radiotherapy - An ultra-high dose of radiation is delivered a thousand times quicker than conventional radiotherapy. Columbia is one of the few centers with a FLASH radiotherapy machine and partners with Cornell on research to advance this field.
Radiation therapy and immunotherapy - A promising combination of treatment in which localized radiation is used on a tumor to stimulate an immune attack against itself and other metastases.
Stereotactic MR-guided online adaptive radiation therapy (SMART) - A new, non-invasive treatment for oligometastatic disease, a type of metastasis where cancer has spread to 1 to 5 additional sites throughout the body.
Ethos™ Adaptive Radiation Linear Accelerator - This new technology leverages artificial intelligence to provide adaptive radiation treatments in less than 30 minutes per treatment for cancers of the anus, bladder, cervix, head and nexk, endometrium, esophagus, pancreas, prostate and rectum.
Focused ultrasound-Columbia has clinical trials that use focused ultrasound to open up the natural barrier in the brain to let the chemotherapy better penetrate and work with the radiation to improve outcomes for adult and pediatric brain cancers.
Clinical trials - Our radiation oncologists conduct clinical trials to further our understanding of rapidly developing radiation technologies and treatment approaches for cancers in children and adults. Your cancer team will assess if you qualify for innovative cancer treatment.

Awards & Recognition

Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center Accolade

The Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center has been renewed as a designated Comprehensive Cancer Center by the federal government's National Cancer Institute (NCI), the largest funder of cancer research in the world.

Dr. Lisa Kachnic, Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology and Chu H. Chang Professor at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and radiation oncologist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, is the past president of the American Board of Radiology, the American Board of Medical Specialties governing organization of all board-certified radiologists, radiation oncologists and medical physicists in the United States. She is the director of the National Cancer Institute’s Community Oncology Research Program at HICCC and is an international leader in radiation care for patients with anal and rectal cancer.

Dr. Silvia Formenti, Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology and the Sandra and Edward Meyer Professor of Cancer Research at Weill Cornell Medicine and radiation oncologist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, received the 2019 ASTRO Gold Medal by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the world's largest professional association for radiation oncologists.

Dr. Sally Amundson, Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and a senior scientist in the Department's Center for Radiological Research, is the current president of the Radiation Research Society, the largest and oldest Radiation Research Society, worldwide.

The Center for Radiological Research has been awarded a five year $27M grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate biomarkers of prior radiation exposure, as well as a $2.5M equipment grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for a charged-particle accelerator booster, to study a new approach for treating brain tumors and pancreatic tumors with heavy charged particles. Following on from this award, the CRR has been awarded two further NCI grants totaling $4.5M to perform pre-clinical studies with this new machine.

Weill Cornell Medicine has been awarded a five-year, $11.3 million Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant from the National Cancer Institute to improve the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of prostate cancer.

The Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medicine Meyer Cancer Center in partnership with NewYork-Presbyterian are both recognized with accreditation by the American College of Radiology (ACR), which provides a third-party, impartial peer review and evaluation of patient care.

This content has been reviewed by the following medical editors.

Lisa Ann Kachnic, MD, FASTRO

Get Care

Trust NewYork-Presbyterian for Radiation Oncology Care

At NewYork-Presbyterian, we offer unparalleled resources for superior cancer patient care. Our radiation oncologists closely collaborate in multidisciplinary teams to create the safest and most effective treatment plan for your cancer. Combined with NewYork-Presbyterian's comprehensive patient support services, you receive superior care that meets your individualized needs and your lifestyle. If you or a loved one has received a cancer diagnosis, don't hesitate to reach out to us.

Our Services

Specialties

Featured

Other

Our Locations

Hospital Campus Locations

Patients & Visitors

Tools & Information

Medical Professionals

Research & Education

Training Programs