Introduction
The Department of Radiation Oncology is a comprehensive radiation treatment center located at Phelps County Regional Medical Center (PCRMC). The department is located in the North Addition of the hospital, a $12 million expansion project at PCRMC. The department provides external beam radiation therapy, IMRT, and HDR (a type of radiation implant known as High Dose Rate Brachytherapy) treatments to cancer patients.

Providing its patients with progressive cancer treatment is a daily pursuit at the department. PCRMC was proudly one of the first hospitals in the State of Missouri to offer its patients IMRT. IMRT is an advanced treatment process that allows the radiation doctor (radiation oncologist) to manipulate the dose delivery. We also utilize another form of advanced therapy called IGRT, which uses a specialized ultrasound scanner to visually locate certain cancers before treatment (sonarray).

Patient Convenience
The department is centrally located to serve as the regional referral center for South Central Missouri and alleviates the need for patients to travel long distances to urban centers to receive quality cancer treatment. Also, for those with transportation issues PCRMC’s Transportation Van Program provides free shuttle services to and from the hospital and its affiliated physicians’ offices, including Radiation Oncology.

The clinical team provides quality care at convenient hours for their patients. The department's hours of operation are from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The goal for Radiation Oncology is to provide the highest quality patient care, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment, technology and the greatest degree of personal attention.

For more information, call the Department of Radiation Oncology at (573) 458-7500.

IMRT
As you research your cancer treatment you may hear the term “IMRT” often. This term stands for “Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy.” This technology helped to make major changes in how radiation therapy is planned and delivered and gives the physician a level of control that is a step above.

The biggest difference between a standard treatment and IMRT is the fact that the doctor and her treatment planning assistant (dosimetrist) start by specifying how much radiation she wants given to a part of the body, as well as how little radiation she wants nearby organs to receive. The treatment is planned in an extensive process that takes advantage of huge computing power for planning and delivery of the radiation dose.

Sonarray
The sonarray ultrasound system acquires ultrasound images of the prostate, bladder and rectum so that the physician and therapists delivering the treatment can view the position of the prostate on a daily basis. Since the prostate gland can move slightly each day, depending on the size of the bladder and rectum, this technology allows more precise delivery of treatment. In some cases, the doctor may choose to use this system for other areas of the body as well.

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