Endocrine cancer treatment at The Christ Hospital Health Network

If you are diagnosed with endocrine cancer, it's normal to feel anxious. We understand your concerns, and will do everything we can to ease your fears and help you feel supported.

Our cancer care team includes endocrinologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and surgeons. Together we create an effective and well-coordinated treatment plan to fight your cancer and fix any problems caused by your hormone imbalance.

Advanced treatment options

Your treatment plan is based on your specific type of endocrine or neuroendocrine tumor, and whether it is early or advanced. You may receive a combination of medical, surgical or radiation treatments, including:

• Chemotherapy - drugs that kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.

• Radiation therapy - a treatment that uses radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Our doctors perform "external" radiation therapy (where a machine outside the body aims radiation at the tumor). They also perform "internal" radiation therapy. This includes placing tiny capsules of radioactive material into a tumor.

• Radiosurgery - a targeted form of radiation therapy for endocrine cancers. We were one of the first hospitals to get the Varian Edge radiosurgery system. It treats difficult tumors in fewer treatment sessions, and tracks tumors in real-time. Even tumors that move during treatment receive precise amounts of radiation, with less damage to nearby healthy organs.

• Robotic-assisted surgery - using a robotic arm, our surgeons perform complicated procedures using the smallest of incisions. Robotic-assisted surgery is often used to remove thyroid tumors.

• Iodine ablation – radioactive form of the more common iodine that can be found in foods (especially shellfish) used to target and destroy thyroid cells.