Welcome message from Chair

Welcome to the UNC Department of Radiation Oncology. Our dedicated and hard-working faculty and staff strive to exemplify UNC Healthcare’s motto “Leading, Teaching, Caring”.

We have strong tradition of leadership and innovation in the field of radiation oncology. In particular, we have pioneered the use of computer-assisted image-guided therapy. This allows us to focus the radiation on the target tissues, while minimizing the risks to the surrounding normal organs. We have an active research team and strive to translate advances from the laboratory to the clinic to benefit our patients.

This translational research focus reflects our continuing commitment to state of the art patient care and to the training of the next generation of radiation oncologists and other radiotherapy professionals.

In August 2009, we will begin our move into the new North Carolina Cancer Hospital, where the Department will offer the following services:

External Beam Radiation Therapy – using three state-of-the-art linear accelerators;

Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy and Image Guided Radiation Therapy – to allow radiation doses to be delivered to the tumor more accurately and thus minimize risks to adjacent normal tissues;

CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery – to allow physicians to irradiate tumors virtually anywhere in the body with unprecedented precision. Because it is a non-invasive procedure, radiosurgery can be used for some tumors that cannot be removed by traditional surgery; and

Brachytherapy Suite – where radioactive capsules are implanted temporarily in and around the tumor, used primarily for certain gynecological cancers. The new brachytherapy suite is equipped to provide real-time imaging of the treatment area as the implants are being placed. This will allow procedures to be completed more quickly and more accurately.

We invite you to learn more about our Department and its clinical and research programs.

Lawrence B. Marks, M.D.

Patient's Voice

"Thank you for being a lovely ray of sunshine each time I come in to (get) radiation (treatment). Thanks to your radiation oncology department for caring for me so wisely and so professionally. They surely have heart."