Department of Radiation Therapy - Hannover Medical School (MHH)

About the Department of Radiation Therapy at Hannover Medical School (MHH)

The Department of Radiation Therapy at the Hannover Medical School provides the full range of medical services in its area of ​​expertise and specializes in the treatment of oncological diseases using various forms of radiation. The department is the only medical center of this profile in the region. All types of radiation therapy are provided here, including electron and photon irradiation – 3D conformal radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy, stereotaxic radiation of the head and whole body, brachytherapy (also with IMRT and the possibility of the whole body radiation). Patients are treated by highly professional doctors with many years of clinical experience. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Hans Christiansen.

Prior to prescribing a specific type of radiation therapy, the patient must undergo a complete diagnostic examination. Planning of the forthcoming irradiation is carried out using a Siemens SOMATOM Definition AS CT scanner. Radiation therapy sessions are carried out on advanced linear accelerators from Elekta, which provide the maximum therapeutic effect with the minimum radiation dose. In addition, the department has state-of-the-art equipment for afterloading radiation therapy. The advanced technologies at the disposal of the medical facility make it possible to focus the rays on the tumor as much as possible without damaging the neighboring healthy organs and tissues.

During the procedure, the patient receives a strictly defined dose of radiation, carefully calculated at the planning stage. The attending physician determines the duration of the course of treatment based on diagnostic data (diagnosis, tumor location, stage of cancer, general health condition of the patient, etc.). Stereotactic radiation therapy requires only one treatment session. After completing the full course of treatment, the patient receives the necessary recommendations for further observation. As a rule, three months after the radiation therapy, the patient undergoes a follow-up diagnostic examination to evaluate the results obtained.

The medical team of the department works closely with doctors of related specialties, including oncologists, chemotherapists, radiologists, as well as doctors specializing in gastroenterology, orthopedics, neurology, gynecology (depending on the type and location of the oncological process). An interdisciplinary approach allows achieving the best results in the fight against cancer.

The department specializes in the following types of radiation therapy:

• 3D conformal radiation therapy is a radiation method, the technology of which is based on voluminous planning. In other words, the shape of the radiated tissue volume is maximally approximated to the tumor form. Radiation therapists use images to identify target areas – tumors and surrounding healthy tissues, which should be either preserved or restored, if possible.
• Intensity modulated radiation therapy is the further development of 3D-conformal radiation. In addition to the direction of radiation and the shape of the radiation field, it is also possible to modulate the dose within the radiation field. This can be achieved by dividing the individual radiation fields into a large number of small "subfields" (the so-called subsegments). In certain clinical situations, the method makes it possible to even better protect the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor, as well as to increase the radiation dose in the tumor tissue in order to improve treatment effectiveness. One form of intensity-modulated radiation therapy is volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). The planned volume of radiation is delivered very accurately, while the surrounding organs and tissues are optimally protected, as in IMRT. The accuracy of this radiation corresponds to the accuracy of IMRT. The duration of radiation can be reduced by rotating the irradiator around the patient.
• Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) is a method that involves creation of images at short intervals during a radiotherapy session. The images obtained by this type of therapy are compared by the radiotherapist with those taken at the planning stage. This improves the accuracy of the irradiation.
• Stereotactic radiation therapy allows destroying target areas of the tumor using high doses of radiation, which is comparable in efficiency to the result of surgery. The number of procedures and the dose of radiation depends on the type of tumor and its size. This method is often used to treat brain, lung, or liver tumors.
• Other types of radiation therapy