Our cutting edge radiation oncology and therapy technologies in Orange County, California equip our skilled medical staff with the information they need to plan the best possible course of radiation treatment. 

A GE CT scan and X-rays help our medical staff identify the target and the parameters for radiation therapy. Before each treatment, our patients are scanned and X-rayed in order to locate the position of the organs and tissues that need to be avoided, and to deliver precise and localized radiation to the cancerous cells.

A Varian Eclipse Treatment Planning system enables our medical team to analyze three-dimensional images and devise a precise and targeted radiation treatment. The visual models combine effectively with IMRT treatment – computer-controlled X-ray accelerators that target precise doses of radiation that conforms to the three-dimensional shape of a tumor by modulating the intensity of the beam.  

Linear Accelerators

For decades, linear accelerators have served as the workhorse of radiation oncologists in the treatment of cancer. These complex machines enable a process called external beam radiation therapy. And both Fountain Valley and Anaheim Centers make use of these machines in a variety of treatments.

How do Linear Accelerators Work?

Linear accelerators speed up electrons to nearly the speed of light inside a vacuum tube and direct this electron beam onto a heavy metal target. What emerges from the other side of the target is a narrowly focused beam of high-energy x-rays, also known as photons. These photons can then be directed through a targeting process from many different angles, all converging on the tumor being treated. In the process some normal tissue is irradiated as the beam passes through it, but this dose is minimal compared to the dose received by the targeted tissues.

All of these complex machines can be moved in an up-and-down as well as side-to-side direction. They tend to be noisy and somewhat frightening at first glance, but they are safe and reliable. And they enable a variety of therapies that include Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT).