Updates in Radiation Oncology
by Z. Nicola Ally, M.D.
Z. Nicola Ally, MD, is a board-certified Radiation Oncologist with Epic Care, serving cancer patients in Antioch and Pleasant Hill. She joined thesecondopinion as a volunteer physician in 2019. Dr. Ally graduated from McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences in 1999 and has 23 years of experience. She is affiliated with Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Summit Campus, Brown and Toland Physicians, Eden Medical Center, Sutter Health, SEBMF HMO Network, Sutter Delta Medical Center and John Muir Health. Dr. Ally lives in Walnut Creek, California, with her family and enjoys travel, bike riding and literature. 

Updates in Radiation Oncology

Radiation therapy involves the delivery of high-energy X-ray beams, or electrons beams, for the treatment of cancer as well as non-cancerous (benign) disease. This therapy may also be used in preparation for stem-cell transplant in patients with certain blood cancers. The treatment may be curative if the cancer is localized and radiosensitive or it may be “palliative” to reduce symptoms such as pain by shrinking the tumor. Radiation therapy is often used in conjunction with surgery and/or systemic therapy (including chemotherapy, immunotherapy etc.). Radiation comes in many forms to treat different organs, sites and disease types.
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