Dr. Rajiv (Raj) Dahiya holds an MD from the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s School of Medicine. He serves as a radiation oncologist at Premier Cancer Centers in Dallas, TX, and concurrently works with Predictive Medical Solutions, a state-of-the-art diagnostic testing service. Dr. Raj Dahiya is accomplished in minimally invasive therapies, including advanced radiation technologies.In April 2017, researchers published findings from the recent Head Start III trial. This clinical trial evaluated the efficacy of treatments for pediatric patients with brain tumors that exposed them to minimal or no radiation. Some patients received standard radiation treatments as a control group, while a second group underwent high-dose chemotherapy and then a stem cell transfusion in lieu of radiation. Radiation can be very harmful to children, especially very young children. Many parents and physicians have been reluctant to start pediatric patients on radiation because of its impact on brain development. However, the Head Start III trial suggests that radiation therapy leads to the best outcomes for pediatric patients. Those who did not receive radiation generally experienced worse outcomes, highlighting the importance of well-timed, well-dosed radiation treatments.
As a radiation oncologist at Premier Cancer Centers in Dallas, TX, Dr. Rajiv “Raj” Dahiya employs some of the most innovative radiation techniques available to treat cancer patients. In order to stay informed about current industry trends and network with peers, Dr. Raj Dahiya maintains membership in the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).A study introduced during the recent Multidisciplinary Thoracic Cancers Symposium suggests that intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) could help patients with lung cancer, keeping the disease from coming back within a year following the radiation therapy. Using the proton therapy technique, radiation oncologists target cancer cells while leaving normal tissue intact. This therapy is also able to focus on a specific tumor even if it envelops vital organs like the lung.The average rate of overall survival for those in the study who received IMPT was 18 months. Those who were subject to higher doses experienced even more benefits, as they experienced local failure at only half the rate of the average population and local-regional failure at a quarter of the rate.
In Dallas, TX, Dr. Rajiv (Raj) Dahiya uses minimally invasive technologies including the Predictive Medical Solutions Cyberknife in his work as a radiation oncologist. Dr. Raj Dahiya holds an MD from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, is a diplomate of the American Board of Radiology, and maintains a membership with the American College of Radiology. The American College of Radiology is a voluntary professional organization for radiologists and other physicians and scientists who practice and advance radiologic care. The nonprofit organization works to advance radiology by supporting these radiological professionals and those who benefit from their efforts.The American College of Radiology often focuses on advocacy work related to public policy matters. It has recently been working to expand access to CT lung cancer screenings for Medicare patients. Data gathered in the National Lung Screening Trial shows that patients who receive these screenings annually experience a 20 percent lower rate of lung cancer mortality. These exams are highly cost effective, but not always covered for Medicare patients. The American College of Radiology has successfully helped many high-risk patients access screenings, but many more remain unable to obtain this preventive service.
An MD for more than 30 years, Dr. Rajiv “Raj” Dahiya serves as a radiation oncologist at Premier Cancer Centers in Dallas, TX. There, Dr. Rajiv “Raj” Dahiya uses innovative treatment technologies to address prostate and other cancers.For patients with prostate cancer, radiation therapy can be an effective first-line treatment as well as an intervention for recurrent or advanced cancers. One option is external beam radiation therapy, or EBRT, which delivers therapeutic radiation to the tumor from outside the body. Most contemporary forms of EBRT involve image-guided radiation delivery that creates the shape of the radiation beam so as to minimize exposure of nearby tissues.EBRT may be an element of a potentially curative treatment plan for patients with early stage cancers, though it is also used as a symptom mitigation measure for patients whose cancer has spread. Another option for treating early-stage prostate cancer is brachytherapy, also known as interstitial or internal radiation therapy. This methodology involves placing inside the prostate a series of small radioactive structures, each the size of a grain of rice. Most such interventions fall into a category known as permanent or low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy, in which the implanted pellets continually emit small doses of radiation and then remain safely in the prostate after treatment is complete. Other patients receive what is known as temporary or high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, which delivers increased levels of radiation through implanted catheters, with the catheters being removed after the therapy is complete.High dose rate brachytherapy is often used in combination with EBRT, particularly for those patients who are at risk of the cancer spreading. Brachytherapy may also be used alone, though this is more common in patients with slow-growing cancers.
As an MD and radiation oncologist with Premier Cancer Centers in Dallas, TX, Dr. Rajiv “Raj” Dahiya offers patients access to innovative treatment technologies. Dr. Raj Dahiya makes use of the innovative TomoTherapy H Series HD, which provides targeted radiation therapy using advanced image guidance.In 2012, Accuray introduced the TomoTherapy H Series radiation treatment technology, which features the advanced TomoHDA system. This system offers the industry's most advanced type of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), with accuracy enhanced through the use of computerized topography (CT) scanning. This combination of technologies allows the system to send radiation to a precise location, thus minimizing the chances of injury to surrounding organs and tissues.Through extremely fast modulation and efficient image guidance, the TomoTherapy H Series allows users to reduce the time that patients spend in treatment. It also facilitates the development of individualized treatment plans, even for particularly complex cases. Advanced software provides guidance at all stages of treatment, including imaging and delivery, while also providing the option for care team members to contribute from remote workstations.The treatment itself features a slice-therapy approach, which addresses tumors layer-by-layer. The system's advanced software provides daily image guidance and enables delivery changes in accordance with patient needs, so that treatment planning be adjusted to the evolving results.
Dr. Rajiv (Raj) Dahiya received his MD from the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine in 1994. Since January of 2016, Dr. Rajiv Dahiya has worked as an oncologist at the Premier Cancer Centers in Dallas, TX.
Premier Cancer Centers is setting the new standard for cancer treatments, and one potentially revolutionary new development in cancer treatment is the breakthrough in gene research. Every cancer results from some type of mutation in DNA in the patient’s body.In 2013, British researchers developed the first map for the mutational process of tumors, and this should lead to superior treatment for many different cancers. In the study published in the journal Nature, scientists investigated more than 7,000 genomes of various cancers, and isolated 21 unique processes that result in DNA mutation.The study also revealed that there are at least two processes involved in the 30 cancer types in the study, with even more for some cancers. For instance, ovarian cancer had only two mutational processes, while six were present in liver cancer. They also found that a group of enzymes called APOBECs which have been shown to mutate DNA were also involved in more than half the cancers involved in the research.
As a radiation oncologist at Premier Cancer Centers in Dallas, TX, Dr. Rajiv “Raj” Dahiya works with a broad range of advanced radiation technologies. Dr. Rajiv “Raj” Dahiya treats many of his patients with the CyberKnife M6, a robotic radiosurgery system.
Developed by the Accuray company, the CyberKnife M6 offers a noninvasive alternative to surgery for many cancer patients. It uses image guidance technology to specifically pinpoint a patient's tumor, which the system tracks throughout the course of treatment. This leads to precisely targeted radiation delivery with strong tumor-coverage rates and optimized conformal dosing, which maximizes effectiveness while minimizing secondary damage.The treatment starts with preliminary imaging, which the radiation oncologist uses to plan the delivery of a dose. This plan serves as an instruction to the CyberKnife's computer-facilitated robot, which positions the machine in those locations determined to be most effective. The robot delivers the necessary radiation over the course of up to five sessions, each of which lasts 30 to 90 minutes.The CyberKnife system has the capacity to treat tumors throughout the body and does not require any rigid positioning systems. Patients remain comfortably positioned throughout the treatment process and most often experience only minimal side effects, which typically resolve themselves in less than 48 hours.
