Department of Radiation Oncology

Introduction

Radiation therapy plays an important role along with surgical therapy and chemotherapy as one of the three pillars of cancer treatment. Radiation therapy equipment has seen impressive advances in the last few years, and highly precise radiation therapy such as stereotactic irradiation where we can irradiate with localized radiation to concentrate and treat the lesion with radiation and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT,VMAT) which can reduce the dose to normal tissues according to the shape of the tumor, is beginning to spread. As a result, radiation therapy can be gentle to the body and has become a treatment that can be expected to have a high local effect. In regard to cancer treatment, as a regional cancer treatment cooperation base hospital, our hospital is the core of cancer medicine in Saitama Prefecture. The number of newly referred patients with radiation therapy has been increasing every year, and in 2017 it was one of the highest number of people in the country at more than 900. We have many patients referred from in hospital departments as well as through close regional cooperation with local medical institutions.

Our department provides treatment for a wide range of diseases and symptoms, from the conventional fractionated radiotherapy to high-precision radiotherapy (stereotactic radiation therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT,VMAT)) and brachytherapy to palliative radiation therapy. The actual treatment is a daily treatment in cooperation with the doctors of the referring medical department. Radiation therapy equipment includes two of the latest radiation therapy devices, both of which are compatible with high-precision radiation therapy, and brachytherapy is also used in treating cervical cancer and prostate cancer. The facility is certified as a Certified Facility (A) by The Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

In addition, our department has a comprehensive medical care system in which we practice team medicine consisting of radiation oncologists, medical physicists, medical radiology technicians and nurses. We provide safe and high-quality radiation therapy for patients. As a pioneer nationwide with the quality control room for radiation treatment, we conduct quality control and quality assurance of radiotherapy throughout the team medical treatment. These activities have been evaluated, and the department has received an S evaluation (top level) in hospital function evaluation by the Japan Council for Quality Health Care. We provide good quality and effective treatment for our patients.

Patient care at our department

In radiation therapy, it is possible to treat and obtain a satisfactory therapeutic effect while preserving the function and form of the body. It is possible to perform proactive treatment for elderly people and patients who have difficulty with surgery. It is important to appropriately select surgical therapy, radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy as treatment to fit the condition of the tumor or cancer. However, in our department, we respond with a wide range of treatments for purposes from curative treatments (treatments for the purpose of curing cancer), to relieving symptoms, including high-precision radiotherapy such as stereotactic irradiation and intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Because there are a wide variety of target diseases, they are most likely to be treated in cooperation with other departments. We work together closely to treat patients with a team medical treatment.

1. Head and neck tumors
   Head and neck cancer is a good adaptation of radiation therapy where it is possible to preserve morphology. Early larynx cancer can be treated at the outpatient clinic and the voice is preserved after treatment.
2. Breast cancer
   Radiation therapy is performed after surgery on the remaining mammary gland (breast preservation therapy). Treatment is performed by the outpatient clinic.
3. Lung cancer
   Radiation therapy is commonly used in combination with radiotherapy and chemotherapy (anticancer drugs).
4. Early lung cancer (body stereotactic radiotherapy)
   Treatment is performed by pin point irradiating for the cancer lesion. The radiation is concentrated on the local cancer lesion in three dimensions from multiple directions using a small irradiation field performing the treatment.
5. Esophageal cancer
   Treatment is commonly a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Treatment results in Phase II-III are almost equivalent to surgery.
6. Prostate cancer
   We perform the treatment by concentrating radiation on the prostate from multiple directions. We also perform intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and brachytherapy.
7. Cervical cancer
   In addition to normal radiotherapy, treatment is performed with a combination of brachytherapy (intracavitary irradiation) that performs local irradiation from the inside of the uterus.
8. Bone metastasis
   The effect of irradiation to relieve pain symptoms caused by bone metastasis is obtained at about 80%.
9. Brain metastasis
   Treatment is performed with stereotactic irradiation which is pin point irradiating of the cancer lesion and normal radiation therapy according to the medical condition.

Examination method

The Department of Radiation Oncology Outpatient Clinic is in charge of radiation therapy (Basement level 1). For the first visit when referred from other hospitals, please consult with us in principle, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday morning. Please bring a referral letter and the image examination information necessary for treatment to the initial consultation.

Contact information

049-228-3511(Department of Radiation Oncology direct)

Main diseases

We provide a cure for any of tumors. Malignant tumors are the main target, but radiation therapy can also be applied to some benign diseases. Depending on the disease, we may perform treatment only with radiation treatment, perform stereotactic irradiation, perform intensity modulated radiation therapy, or perform these in combination with chemotherapy, and the preoperative treatment and postoperative treatment will differ.

Malignant tumors

• Brain tumors
• Head and neck tumors (pharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, etc.)
• Lung cancer/mediastinal tumors
• Esophageal cancer
• Breast cancer
• Colorectal cancer (preoperative)
• Biliary tract cancer and pancreatic cancer
• Gynecological tumors (cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, etc.)
• Urogenital tumors (prostate cancer, bladder cancer, etc.)
• Skin cancer
• Malignant lymphoma
• Bone and soft tissue tumors, etc.

Benign diseases

Keloids (postoperative irradiation), thyroid ophtalmopathy, cerebral arteriovenous malformation (stereotactic irradiation)

Symptom relief

Bone metastasis (including spinal cord compression), brain metastasis, recurrent and metastatic tumors with symptoms, superior vena cava syndrome due to tumors, etc.

Treatment results

診療スタッフ

Name	Job Title	Position	Specialized Field	Credentials
髙橋　健夫 (Takahashi Takeo)	Professor	Chief of Clinical Services Chief of Education	Radiation Oncology 腫瘍画像医学 Radiation biology	放射線治療専門医(Japan Radiologist Society・Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology) General Clinical Oncologist(by JBCT) Japan Radiation Society研修指導者
山野　貴史 (Yamano Takafumi)	Associate Professor	Department of Health Promotion(Fulltime) Department of Radiation Oncology(Concurrent post)	Radiation Oncology	放射線治療専門医(Japan Radiologist Society・Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology) General Clinical Oncologist (by JBCT) Japan Radiation Society研修指導者 PET核医学認定医
早川 豊和 (Hayakawa Toyokazu)	Assistant Professor	Manager of Outpatient Services Manager of General Affairs	Radiation Oncology	放射線治療専門医(Japan Radiologist Society・Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology) Japan Radiation Society研修指導者
内海　暢子 (Utsumi Nobuko)	Assistant Professor	Vice-Chief of Education	Radiation Oncology	放射線治療専門医(Japan Radiologist Society・Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology) General Clinical Oncologist(by JBCT) Japan Radiation Society研修指導者
齊藤　美音 (Saito Mio)	Instructor		Radiation Oncology	放射線科専門医（Japan Radiologist Society）
町田　史晴 (Machida Fumiharu)	Instructor		Radiation Oncology
松本　優介 (Matsumoto Yusuke)	Instructor		Radiation Oncology
森田　大也 (Morita Daiya)	Instructor		Radiation Oncology
水野　統文 (Mizuno Norifumi)	Assistant Professor	Vice-Chief of Research	Medical Physics	Medical physicist Therapeutic Medical Physicist
梅田　真梨子 (Umeda Mariko)	Instructor		Medical Physics	Medical physicist
加藤　唯斗 (Kato Yuito)	Instructor		Medical Physics
村田　修 (Murata Osamu)	非常勤講師		Radiation Oncology	放射線治療専門医(Japan Radiologist Society・Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology) General Clinical Oncologist (by JBCT) Japan Radiation Society研修指導者 PET核医学認定医
本戸　幹人 (Hondo Mikito)	非常勤講師		Radiation Oncology Palliative care	放射線治療専門医(Japan Radiologist Society・Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology) General Clinical Oncologist (by JBCT)
西村　敬一郎 (Nishimura Keiichirou)	非常勤講師		Radiation Oncology	放射線治療専門医(Japan Radiologist Society・Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology) Japan Radiation Society研修指導者 PET核医学認定医
惣田　梨加奈 (Soda Rikana)	Instructor	非常勤講師	Radiation Oncology	放射線治療専門医（Japan Radiologist Society・Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology） Japan Radiation Society研修指導者
畑中　星吾 (Hatanaka Shogo)	非常勤講師		Medical Physics	Medical physicist Radiotherapy Quality Manager
針生　将嗣 (Hariu Masatsugu)	非常勤講師		Medical Physics	Medical physicist

Outpatient clinic

To the Medical Institutions

Radiation therapy plays an important role along with surgical therapy and chemotherapy as one of the three pillars of cancer treatment. The characteristic of our department is that we respond with a wide range of treatments for patients, from high-precision radiotherapy from such as stereotactic irradiation (pinpoint irradiation) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy, chemoradiotherapy which is performed with the relevant department, and palliative radiation therapy with the purposes of relieving symptoms and improving quality of life. As a regional cancer treatment cooperation base hospital we actively cooperate with doctors at local medical institutions.

Referral method/examination method

The Department of Radiation Oncology in the basement 1F is the contact point for the Department of Radiation Oncology outpatient clinic, and there is an adjoining radiation treatment department. Patients can receive medical treatment from reception to medical examination and radiotherapy smoothly.

• For the first visit when referred from other hospitals, please consult with us on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday morning. It will help if you could have the patient bring the necessary image examination information for the treatment.
• Contact information: 049-228-3511 (Department of Radiation Oncology direct)
• If you have a patient with strong symptoms such as bone metastasis, you can call in advance to make the treatment smoother from that point.

Regarding the radiation therapy (radiation therapy equipment) of our department

We have 2 TrueBeam (Varian) radiation therapy devices (LINAC). This is highly accurate radiation therapy equipment that is capable of handling a wide range of high-precision radiotherapy to conventional radiation therapy. We also have a brachytherapy device using an iridium radiation sourse.

Stereotactic irradiation:

Radiation treatment plans are performed with a combination of TrueBeam STx and BrainLab equipment. This accomodates treatment for brain metastasis (small lesions), some brain tumors which are difficult to perform surgery on and brain arteriovenous malformation. This is a treatment that can be set up to be patient-friendly.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy

TrueBeam is used to pinpoint irradiation with early lung cancer. This accomodates treatment for early lung cancer (within 3cm) or a small number of metastatic lung tumors. Treatment is about 1 week and is performed by the outpatient clinic. The treatment results in Phase II-III are almost equivalent to surgery.

Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT):

This is a highly precise radiotherapy method that reduces the dose to the organs at risk while the radiation is uniformly applied to the tumor lesions when the at-risk organs which are a relation to adverse effects and the tumor are close to each other. We have been focusing on prostate cancer.

Brachytherapy:

Intracavitary irradiation for cervical cancer and the high dose rate interstitial irradiation for prostate cancer are performed.