Radiation Oncology Treatments

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is home to one of the nation’s premier radiation oncology programs. We are among the few centers in the country delivering radiation therapy exclusively to children. You can count on us for safe, child-centered care, including a broad range of radiation oncology treatments.

Pediatric Radiation Therapy: Why Choose Us

Our Radiation Oncology Program is part of the renowned Cancer and Blood Disease Institute. We offer advanced radiation treatments that are not widely available.

When you come to CHLA for radiation therapy, your child benefits from:

  • Expert care: Our team includes internationally recognized radiation oncology experts and other highly skilled professionals, including nurses and radiation therapists. We use a team approach to coordinate the treatments that best meet your child’s needs. And our active participation in research gives your child access to the latest care options.
  • Age-appropriate treatment: We specialize in adjusting radiation therapy to meet the needs of children’s growing bodies. Our experts make sure your child receives the lowest possible dose of radiation that will still effectively treat the cancer. And our Child Life specialists help your child relax and stay calm during treatments.
  • Recognized commitment to safety: We are one of the only children’s hospitals in the country to achieve Accreditation Program for Excellence (APEx) certification from the American Society for Radiation Oncology. This accreditation recognizes that CHLA provides safe radiation treatments and that our staff members continually meet standards for high-quality care.

What Is Radiation Therapy?

Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles to shrink tumor cells. In high doses, radiation can destroy cancer cells. Radiation damages the DNA in cancer cells, eventually destroying the cancer cells or at least preventing them from growing.

Radiation treatment does not work immediately—it takes several weeks or months to destroy enough cells to shrink a tumor. Children often need several sessions of radiation for the treatment to work.

Radiation Therapy Planning

Careful planning helps your child get the most out of each treatment and minimizes disruption to healthy tissue. We use the most advanced imaging technologies, including positron emission tomography (PET) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to determine the cancer’s location and unique shape. This information helps us select the appropriate treatment technique and dose.

Before treatment starts, we show you and your child the equipment and treatment room, and your child participates in a simulation. We use our radiation therapy computed tomography (CT) simulator to create images we can use to plan the treatment. We also create a device that will help your child stay in the same position for each treatment.

Types of Radiation Therapy We Offer

We offer brachytherapy and many types of external beam radiation.

External beam radiation

External beam radiation therapy uses a machine to aim radiation at the cancer in your body. This traditional form of radiation therapy is for cancers that are closer to the skin’s surface or involve a large area. We typically use external beam radiation for cancers affecting the limbs, lungs, abdomen or pelvis. External beam radiation may also be an option for certain brain tumors.

At CHLA, we provide many types of external beam radiation therapy, including:

3D conformal radiation therapy

3D conformal radiation therapy uses radiation beams that match (conform to) the precise shape of the cancer. We use 3D imaging studies and multiple radiation beams to tailor your child’s treatments. This technique enables us to safely use higher doses of radiation while preserving nearby healthy tissue.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)

IMRT is for cancers near sensitive tissue, including other organs. Special technology enables us to adjust radiation intensity, focusing treatment on the cancer and its irregular shape. As the beams approach sensitive tissue, the same technology minimizes radiation to the area.  

CHLA specialists played a key role in developing the treatment planning technology that makes IMRT possible. In January 2001, CHLA became the first center in the world to treat a patient with this technology. For more in-depth information you can read: IMRT: A New Technology to Improve Treatment of Pediatric Cancer Patients.

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)

With VMAT, radiation beams rotate around your child’s body. As they rotate, the beams change shape and intensity for focused, shorter treatments. VMAT enables us to more accurately target tumors in hard-to-reach areas while protecting nearby healthy tissue.

Deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH)

DIBH provides focused care that protects the heart and lungs for cancers in the upper chest or abdomen. Children learn to do breath holds while receiving treatment in short bursts. Doing so expands the lungs and pushes the heart out of the way, minimizing radiation exposure to the parts of these organs farther from the tumor. DIBH is not an option commonly available for pediatric patients. Our expertise helps your child have a safe experience.

Stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy

With stereotactic techniques, your child receives short, focused treatments. We use special technologies to deliver radiation with pinpoint precision, even in hard-to-reach areas.

Total body irradiation

This option treats the entire body. Total body irradiation may be necessary if your child has leukemia and needs a stem cell transplant. Radiation therapy halts cancer cell growth and lowers the risk of certain stem cell transplant complications. Find out more about our Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Center.

Brachytherapy

Instead of beaming radiation into the body with a machine, brachytherapy delivers radiation from inside the body. Surgeons implant tiny seeds of a radioactive substance into or next to the tumor. This method targets high doses of radiation directly into the tumor, minimizing exposure to healthy tissue. We frequently use brachytherapy to treat eye tumors such as retinoblastoma.

Cancer Care at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

When you come to CHLA, your child gets access to the newest and most advanced cancer treatments. Learn more about our Oncology programs and services.

Contact us

The Cancer and Blood Disease Institute welcomes new patients, referrals and second opinions. Please call us to make an appointment.

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