The Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center Radiation Oncology Building, an outpatient clinic of William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, represents yet another indicator of the growth of UT Southwestern's cancer services, both in numbers and in reputation.
Radiation oncology services are centered at a 130,000-square-foot facility located on UT Southwestern Medical Center’s East Campus.
The three-story building – the largest individual facility for radiation oncology in North Texas – is structured in a way that enhances the delivery of quality care, creates efficient patient management, promotes collaboration among caregivers, and ensures high levels of patient safety.
The Only NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in North Texas
The Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only medical center in North Texas to attain National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation.
This elite distinction, which is held only by the nation's top-tier cancer centers, recognizes innovative research and excellence in patient care. It is the gold standard for cancer programs.
The Latest Technology for Treating Cancer
Inside the Radiation Oncology Building’s walls is some of the field’s most technologically advanced equipment for treating cancer, including:
- The next generation CyberKnife. UT Southwestern has more experience with the CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery system than any other center in Texas. The next generation CyberKnife – the M6 – offers the ability to check its accuracy while it’s treating patients, almost in real time.
- The nation’s second GammaPod. In 2018 UT Southwestern will become just the second center in the U.S. to offer the GammaPod, an advanced form of technology that’s designed specifically to treat early-stage breast cancer.
- The most advanced linear accelerators. The Radiation Oncology Building houses state-of-the-art linear accelerators that produce patient-specific radiation beams. The machines’ unique capabilities deliver these beams with precision, efficiency, and speed – six times faster, in fact, that conventional machines, leading to a substantial decrease of irradiation time for selected tumors.
In addition to offering the latest technology in the Radiation Oncology Building, Simmons Cancer Center has invested in advanced equipment housed at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, most notably:
- The first Gamma Knife Icon in Texas. Gamma Knife radiosurgery is used to treat patients with inoperable brain tumors or brain metastases. The newest model of Gamma Knife frees patients from a cumbersome head frame, offers submillimeter accuracy, and has the capability to treat the face and upper neck along with the brain.
Advanced Treatment Planning System
Treatment planning is an essential part of radiation oncology, determining precisely where and how to best treat cancer using radiation. An enhanced system in UT Southwestern’s Radiation Oncology Building offers patients improved efficiency, quality, and safety.
The system features:
- The most accurate dosage calculation capabilities available
- Knowledge-based software, allowing physicians to “learn” from a database of past cases and apply that knowledge when planning upcoming treatments
- Adaptive therapy, so that if a patient experiences body changes during treatment – for example – loses weight – a new treatment plan can be quickly tailored to the patient
Learn more about our radiation oncology services and what to expect.
