External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) is one of Providence's most common and effective cancer treatments. It helps reduce the size of tumors through precise doses of X-ray beams. The radiation from the X-ray eliminates cancer cells and shrinks tumors. Different types of EBRT, like 3D conformal radiation therapy or image-guided radiation therapy, are used to lower the risk of radiation leaking to other organs near the cancer area. These therapy sessions are pain free and require only a few visits.

Specialists at Providence use your genetic and genomic information to offer insight into a variety of inherited conditions including different types of cancers, heart, and neurologic diseases and more. Our genetic and genomic services include risk-assessment, genetic counseling, detailed genetic consultations and genetic testing. By combining leading-edge research with our clinical expertise, we’re able to bring you the best personalized care to support your specific health needs.

At Providence, our top-ranked specialists use immunotherapy to treat various cancers. Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses substances made from living organisms to help your immune system fight cancer. As part of its normal function, the immune system detects and destroys abnormal cells to prevent the growth of more cancers. There are several types of immunotherapy treatments, including T-cell transfer therapy, monoclonal antibodies, treatment vaccines, and more.

With our world-class radiation therapies, you can be confident that Providence will bring you the most effective cancer treatment. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is an advanced treatment that sends precise radiation beams to cancerous tumors in affected areas such as the breast, prostate, lung, brain, and many others. IMRT uses 3D imaging to mimic the tumor’s size, shape, and location. This treatment is applied over several short and pain-free sessions.

At Providence, our expert oncologists use leading-edge and effective treatments to minimize risks and maximize results. Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is a common treatment for many different types of cancers including breast, bladder, prostate, and many more. IORT is applied during surgery while cancerous tumors are being removed. Doctors use IORT to send a high dosage of radiation to directly to cancer cells to destroy them and shrink tumors. This is an alternative treatment to external radiation therapy.

When cancer appears in the brain or spine, your cancer team will include neurologists and neurosurgeons who will collaborate on advanced surgical treatments. At Providence, we use advanced operating theaters equipped with powerful microscopes, surgical tools, implantable devices, and computers that navigate the intricacies of the patient's spine and brain for precise, effective procedures. Our goal is to treat the cancer effectively in minimally invasive ways.

Receiving a serious or chronic illness diagnosis can change your life dramatically and you may need additional support. Palliative care focuses on relieving pain and symptoms and prioritizing comfort and quality of life in any stage of your illness. Providence palliative care programs assist families with the comprehensive management of the patient’s physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs. Our palliative care team is available for long-term needs as well as for help in managing short-term side effects from treatment like chemotherapy. We provide counseling, planning assistance and help navigating the medical system.

Thermal ablation, also known as cryoablation, radiofrequency and ablation, is used to treat difficult cancers. These include serious cases of breast, kidney, liver, prostate, thyroid, and pancreatic cancers. At Providence, we recommend using thermal ablation when surgery to remove a tumor is not feasible. During the procedure, a catheter or needle is inserted into the body and carefully guided to the specific area where cancer is located. Doctors most often use CT scanning or ultrasound imaging to guide these tools. The tips of these tools use either radiofrequency energy, liquid nitrogen, electric currents, or heat to destroy (ablate) the cancer cells within the tumor.