Benign Disease

V-tach (ventricular tachycardia) is caused by the heart’s electrical system stimulating muscle contraction in an unsyncopated way leading to irregular heartbeats and inefficient blood pumping. Many patients with V-tach receive an implanted cardiac device (ICD) to help shock the heart muscle into proper rhythm. However, depending on the severity, sometimes the unsyncopated electrical circuits in the heart need to be destroyed completely in a process known as ablation. Radiation based ablation is a process where high energy x-rays are used to damage the heart tissue directly, ablating the bad electrical signal generators. This is a similar process to how radiation is used to destroy cancerous tumors in Radiation Oncology. Radiation-based cardiac ablation is often the last hope for patients too sick to undergo another invasive surgical procedure. In June 2025, our department performed their first radiation based cardiac ablation case.

Osteoarthritis refers to joint disease because of cartilage breakdown, resulting in pain and reduced mobility. Low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT), as opposed to conventional radiation therapy has been proposed as an alternative treatment option for pain management. The aim of this therapy is to reduce pain, inflammation, and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis.

A keloid is a overgrowth of scar tissue, that extend beyond the original wound, causing pain and discomfort. Keloids usually grow in the chest, shoulders, earlobes, and cheeks areas. Surgical removal of the keloid followed by electron beam radiation therapy are an effective management treatment. The radiation not only targets the cells responsible for producing keloids, but also lowers the risk of recurrence.