Desert Regional Medical Center - Comprehensive Cancer Center: LDRT for Osteoarthritis

Yes. Services can change, so call 760-416-4800 to check before you schedule.

The closest other listed locations are Eisenhower Health - Bighorn Radiation Oncology Center in Rancho Mirage, CA (about 10 miles away), City of Hope - Temecula Radiation Oncology in Temecula, CA (about 40 miles away), City of Hope - Wildomar Radiation Oncology in Wildomar, CA (about 43 miles away), and City of Hope - San Bernardino Radiation Oncology in San Bernardino, CA (about 47 miles away). Distances are straight-line, not driving distance.

Usually, yes. Medicare and most major commercial insurance plans cover LDRT for osteoarthritis, though coverage details vary by plan. The radiation oncology office listed above can verify your specific benefits before you schedule.

It depends on your insurance plan. Many plans allow scheduling directly with a radiation oncology department once osteoarthritis is documented; others require a referral from your primary care doctor, orthopedist, or rheumatologist first. Call the office above to ask what they require.

A typical LDRT course uses a low total dose delivered over six treatments, substantially less than the dose used in cancer treatment. Long-term clinical experience hasn't identified a clear signal of increased radiation-related cancer risk after LDRT for osteoarthritis, though studies aren't large enough to rule out a very small risk entirely. A radiation oncologist here can walk you through how the benefit and risk apply to your specific case.

A consultation, then a CT planning scan, then typically six treatment sessions given two to three times a week over two to three weeks. Each session takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes, mostly positioning; there's no needle, sedation, or recovery time.