With the exception of unusual or complex oncologic problems, follow-up care is shared with referring physicians. The Centre's Department of Radiation Oncology provides comprehensive cancer care and radiation therapy services for patients in its region. Most participate in the regional outreach program in conjunction with the medical oncologists. Through disease site specific multidisciplinary teams, radiation oncologists work together with medical oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists and other professionals to provide care and expert treatment to 4,000 new patients each year. Radiation oncologists actively participate in clinical and basic science research at a local, national and international level.
Clinical research is a department strength.
Several members are principal investigators for large multi-centre trails. Outside co-operative group trials, the department focuses its clinical research efforts on conformal therapy and applications of biological response modifiers, and brachytherapy. Several radiation oncologists, through their association with basic scientists, are developing and testing new cancer therapies. The neuro-oncology program specializing in the treatment of CNS tumors in adults and children, neurological complications of cancer and pain problems in cancer patients, is a unique feature of oncology at the London Regional Cancer Centre. Radiation oncologists at the Cancer Centre are appointed to the Department of Oncology , University of Western Ontario , and are the principal members of the academic Division of Radiation Oncology.