CARY – The staff at Wake Radiology Oncology Services recently celebrated its ten year anniversary. When the practice opened its office a decade ago, it was the Triangle’s first freestanding, full-service outpatient radiation therapy center. Since then, the practice has nearly doubled in size and has introduced newer therapies to treat cancer patients.

The practice, led by co-medical directors, Andrew Kennedy, MD and Scott Sailer, MD, offers cutting-edge radiation therapy in a community setting.

“We are extremely pleased to have been in the Triangle for so long, treating patients who would have typically traveled out the area for the type of treatments we provide here in Cary,” noted Dr. Kennedy. “The leaders at Wake Radiology saw the need for this facility that has served not only people locally, but from all over the United States and even around the world.” “While we are proud to offer some one-of-a-kind, innovative treatments, such as microsphere therapy for liver tumors and MammoSite® for breast cancer, we also provide more standard radiation therapy,” explained Dr. Sailer. “We’re always looking ahead and studying newer radiation applications to see how we can improve outcomes for our patients.”

The practice is part of a larger campus, which houses general diagnostic radiology; the Comprehensive Breast Center, offering digital mammography and advanced imaging studies; and Wake Radiology Interventional (IR) Services. The IR office allows cancer patients to come to an outpatient setting for portacatheter insertion that is used to deliver chemotherapy. Wake Radiology Oncology Services is located at 300 Ashville Avenue in Cary.

Wake Radiology Oncology Services Fact Sheet

Offering the Triangle’s first freestanding, full-service outpatient radiation therapy center, Wake Radiology Oncology Services (WROS) in Cary combines the newest technology and three-dimensional radiation therapy with the expertise of specialty trained staff. A PRIMUS linear accelerator produces x-rays and electrons, offering optimal treatments for surface tumors and deep-seated tumors, such as lung or prostate cancers. The computer-controlled linear accelerator is connected to a network of monitors that verifies every aspect of each patient’s treatment.

3-D conformal therapy (3DCRT) – used to treat lung, breast, prostate, head and neck cancers, 3-D targets radiation directly to malignant tumors, while minimizing the risk to surrounding tissue. This CT-based system helps radiation oncologists determine the exact location of the cancer to deliver optimal radiation to the site.

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) – is a more advanced 3-D system that spares even more of the normal tissue. Wake Radiology Oncology Services has been offering this beneficial treatment for the past ten years, longer than any other facility In the Triangle. IMRT is used to treat prostate, head and neck cancers and spinal tumors.

Brachytherapy is internally delivered radiation therapy. WROS is one of the few centers in the region that offers this medical specialty for liver and breast cancer.

Liver microsphere therapy, which was reintroduced by Andrew Kennedy, MD, WROS co-director, places radiation-filled microscopic spheres into the liver, destroying cancerous cells, while preserving adjacent healthy tissue. The radiated microspheres deliver a continuous radiation dosage over 14 days. Patients who have not had success with chemotherapy or are not able to have surgery are candidates for the therapy. The WROS site is one of only two facilities in North Carolina offering this treatment option.

MammoSite® Radiation Therapy (RTS) uses advanced technology to directly deliver radiation inside the breast close to the tissue most at-risk for tumor recurrence. This type of radiation therapy, which is administered in just five days, is appropriate for patients who have undergone a lumpectomy and need follow-up radiation.