Radiation Oncology

Radiation Oncology Centers

Radiation Oncology Centers of Ventura County Offers Expert Cancer Care

If you have been diagnosed with cancer, radiation therapy may be required as part of your treatment—and you may be feeling overwhelmed, afraid, or alone. However, finding a doctor and treatment facility for your cancer care is an important step to getting the best treatment possible.

At the Radiation Oncology Centers of Ventura County (ROCVC), located in the Medical Plaza at St. John’s adjacent to St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, you will experience the outstanding, comprehensive program that uses multiple approaches to treat and eradicate cancer.

ROCVC is made up of a team of specialists led by radiation oncologists Dr. Timothy O’Connor and Dr. Henry Montes, who also treat patients at their Mission Oaks office in Camarillo. The radiation oncologists are nationally recognized leaders in the field of radiotherapy, and experts in stereotactic radiosurgery.

Treatments Available at ROCVC

Radiation Oncology Centers of Ventura County is a cancer treatment center that specializes in radiation therapy. Cancer treatment experts Dr. Timothy O’Connor and Dr. Henry Montes focus on the unique needs of each patient.

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is considered to be the most significant technological breakthrough in radiation treatment in the last 30 years. IMRT is a painless, non-surgical treatment that precisely targets cancer cells while minimizing side effects. IMRT differs from 3D-CRT by varying the intensity of the radiation within each of the radiation beams.
Prostate Brachytherapy is the implanting of radioactive seeds (each about the size of a grain of rice) into cancerous tissue through hollow needles. They may be permanent or temporary. Because they are so small, they cause little discomfort and are simply left in place after their radioactive material is used up.
Breast High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy – Mammosite® and Contura® is a tissue-conserving treatment similar to permanent seed implantation, only it is the temporary loading of radioactive seeds into the breast cavity following surgical removal of a cancerous mass. Plastic tubes called catheters or a balloon are inserted into the affected area and filled with saline solution. A portion of the catheter remains outside the body, and is connected to a computer-controlled High Dose Rate (HDR) machine that delivers the “seeds” twice a day for five days.
Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) uses high-resolution, three-dimensional images to pinpoint tumor sites, adjust patient positioning for maximum accuracy and deliver radiation therapy. These capabilities take IMRT and stereotactic IMRT technologies one step further with advanced imaging for greater precision and efficiency.