Chalmers Cancer Center provides Radiation Oncology care for patients whose treatment plan includes radiation therapy for noncancerous or cancerous tumors.
From our state-of-the-art technology to our highly certified staff, we are capable of managing your treatment plans from start to finish right here in Hutchinson, KS.
As part of Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, Chalmers combines individualized treatment planning with advanced radiation technologies designed to precisely target treatment areas while limiting exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.
Monday - Friday
8:00AM - 4:00PM
1701 E. 23rd Ave., Suite 100
Hutchinson, KS 67052
620-662-1212
Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to target cancer cells and shrink tumors. Today’s precision high-energy radiation treatments are more accurate and less damaging to surrounding tissue than ever before. Through precise, highly effective treatments, we are able to help reduce side effects and make your comfort a top priority.
When radiation is part of your treatment plan, your Radiation Oncology team determines the approach that best fits your diagnosis and treatment needs.
At Chalmers, imaging and advanced radiation technologies help the team plan and deliver treatment as precisely as possible while working to protect surrounding healthy tissue.
Chalmers evaluates and cares for many types of cancer across the state of Kansas. Every diagnosis is different, and treatment depends on the tumor’s type, location and other individual factors. Care may involve several specialists working together to determine the right approach for each patient. When radiation is part of the treatment plan, Chalmers Cancer Center uses advanced technology to precisely target the treatment area while helping limit exposure to nearby healthy tissue.
Brain Cancer
Breast Cancer
Lung Cancer
Neck Cancer
Prostate Cancer
***WILL BE HIDDEN AT LIVE***
Chalmers evaluates and cares for many types of cancer across the state of Kansas. Every diagnosis is different, and treatment depends on the tumor’s type, location and other individual factors. Care may involve several specialists working together to determine the right approach for each patient. When radiation is part of the treatment plan, Chalmers Cancer Center uses advanced technology to precisely target the treatment area while helping limit exposure to nearby healthy tissue.
Brain and spinal cord tumors are different from tumors in many other areas of the body. While brain tumors rarely spread to other parts of the body, they can spread through brain tissue. Even noncancerous tumors can press on or damage normal brain tissue. Brain and spinal cord tumors can also differ between adults and children in where they form, the types of cells involved and how they are treated.
Care may involve a team of specialists, including neurosurgeons, neurologists, radiation oncologists and medical oncologists. Treatment options may include:
Breast cancer usually forms a tumor that may be seen on an X-ray or felt as a lump. Cancerous cells can invade surrounding tissue or spread to other areas of the body through the blood or lymph system. While breast cancer occurs most often in women, men can develop it too. Many patients receive more than one type of treatment as part of their cancer care.
Local treatments, often used for early-stage cancers, target the tumor without affecting the rest of the body and may include:
Systemic treatments use medications that can reach cancer cells throughout the body. Depending on the type of breast cancer, treatment may include:
Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)
Small cell lung cancer accounts for about 10% to 15% of lung cancers. Chemotherapy is commonly used for SCLC. For limited-stage disease, radiation therapy and, in some cases, surgery may also be options. Palliative treatments may be used to help manage symptoms.
Treatment may include:
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for about 80% to 85% of lung cancers. The three main types are adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma. Treatment options vary by type and may be used alone or in combination. Palliative treatments may also be used to help manage symptoms.
Treatment may include:
Lung Carcinoid Tumors
Carcinoid tumors make up less than 5% of lung tumors, and most grow slowly. Other rare lung tumors can include adenoid cystic carcinomas, lymphomas, sarcomas and benign tumors such as hamartomas. Treatments for lung carcinoid tumors may be used alone or in combination.
Treatment may include:
Head and neck cancers can develop in several areas of the mouth, nose and throat. Common types include:
Carcinoma is the most common type of cancer in the head and neck area and begins in the cells that line the nose, mouth and throat. Treatment may involve both local therapies, which target the cancer directly, and systemic therapies that can reach cancer cells throughout the body. Because these cancers can affect areas involved in talking, breathing and eating, those functions are also considered when planning treatment.
Treatment may include:
Surgery may be used to remove the cancer and nearby tissue or affected lymph nodes. Radiation therapy may serve as the primary treatment, be used before or after surgery, or help relieve cancer-related symptoms. Chemotherapy is often given with radiation, while targeted therapy and immunotherapy provide additional drug-treatment options for some head and neck cancers.
The prostate is a gland found only in males, located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It produces some of the fluid that is part of semen, and the urethra passes through the center of the prostate.
Almost all prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas, which develop from the gland cells that produce prostate fluid. Less common types include sarcomas, small cell carcinomas, neuroendocrine tumors and transitional cell carcinomas. Some prostate cancers can spread quickly, but most grow slowly and may not cause health problems during a person’s lifetime.
Management and treatment options may include:
Chalmers offers several advanced approaches to radiation treatment. With state-of-the-art technology and highly experienced, certified staff, we are capable of managing your treatment plans from start to finish right here in Hutchinson, KS. Your Radiation Oncologist determines which treatment method is appropriate based on your diagnosis, tumor location and individual treatment plan.
IMRT is a highly targeted form of radiation therapy that adjusts the strength and shape of the radiation beams to match the treatment area. This helps deliver higher doses to the tumor while limiting radiation exposure to nearby healthy tissue.
IMRT may be delivered using TomoTherapy® or the TrueBeam™ Linear Accelerator.
TomoTherapy combines CT imaging with radiation delivered from 360 degrees. Daily imaging helps the care team accurately target the treatment area and account for changes in tumor position or size during the course of treatment.
The Linear Accelerator from Varian Medical Systems is an advanced radiotherapy system that opens up treatment options for some of the most complex cancers in areas such as the head and neck, lung, breast, abdomen and liver. The advanced imaging and powerful treatment modes allow our doctors to tailor treatments specific to your particular cancer.
Using a 24-slice CT simulator, we design a precise treatment plan by creating a 3D model of the patient, tumor and surrounding normal structures. Multiple radiation beams are then positioned and customized exactly to the treatment area.
Our CT scanner is one of only a few in Kansas capable of 4D CT imaging, which helps the care team see how a tumor may move as a patient breathes. This allows radiation oncologists to account for that movement when planning treatment and more precisely target the tumor.
IGRT is the use of imaging during radiation therapy to improve the precision and accuracy of treatment delivery. IGRT is used to treat tumors in areas of the body that move, such as the lungs. Radiation therapy machines are equipped with imaging technology to allow your doctor to image the tumor before and during treatment. By comparing these images to the reference images taken during simulation, the patient’s position and/or the radiation beams may be adjusted to more precisely target the radiation dose to the tumor. Some IGRT procedures may use fiducial markers, electromagnetic transponders or colored ink tattoos on the skin to help align and target the radiation equipment.
I-131 Therapy uses a radioactive medicine that is taken by mouth and absorbed by thyroid tissue. It is most commonly used to treat certain thyroid disorders, allowing the radiation to be delivered directly to the targeted thyroid cells.
Our team at Chalmers Cancer Treatment Center understands every patient’s needs are unique. We offer calculated treatment options to restore your health. If your treatment plan includes radiation, be assured that the team at the Chalmers Cancer Treatment Center will treat you like a member of our family, keeping you as comfortable as possible.
Dr. Saul Arber is a board-certified radiation oncologist with more than 30 years of experience. He earned both his bachelor’s and medical degrees from the University of Miami and has practiced throughout the East Coast before joining Hutchinson Regional in 2023. Today, Dr. Arber serves as Medical Director of Chalmers Cancer Center, where he is committed to providing high-quality radiation treatment and compassionate care to patients facing cancer.
Dana Copple, APRN, is a board-certified advanced practice provider specializing in radiation oncology. She has more than 20 years of experience caring for patients at Chalmers Cancer Treatment Center, bringing extensive clinical knowledge and a longstanding commitment to compassionate, patient-centered cancer care.
Radiation therapy is often one part of a broader cancer treatment plan. When additional medical oncology care is needed, the Chalmers team works closely with Hematology & Oncology to help coordinate treatment around each patient’s individual needs.
Hematology & Oncology provides care for a wide range of cancers and blood disorders, including chemotherapy, symptom management, coordination with surgery or radiation, and other medical treatments. By working together, both teams can support a more connected approach tailored to each patient’s needs.
Cancer care can involve several stages, specialists and departments working together over time. Explore the journey to see how a patient may move from diagnosis and planning through treatment, recovery and ongoing support.
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