Kootenai Clinic Cancer Services — LDRT for Osteoarthritis

Kootenai Health / Cancer Care Northwest (Alliance for Cancer Care) · Coeur d'Alene, ID

Browse All States Interactive Map What Is LDRT? Am I a Candidate? Is It Covered by Insurance?
What to Expect LDRT Side Effects Arthritis Basics LDRT Success Rates American Radium Society Guidance

Contact and Location

Kootenai Clinic Cancer Services / Cancer Care Northwest
Kootenai Health / Cancer Care Northwest (Alliance for Cancer Care)

700 West Ironwood Drive, Suite 130, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814

208-754-3100

Conditions treated: Osteoarthritis / degenerative joint pain

Radiation oncology services delivered by Cancer Care Northwest under the Alliance for Cancer Care partnership. General osteoarthritis and joint pain listed as a treated condition; call to confirm dedicated LDRT availability. Additional sites in Post Falls and Sandpoint.

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Physicians at This Location

  • Kyra N. McComas, MD
    Radiation Oncology
  • Aaron E. Wagner, MD
    Radiation Oncology
  • Christopher M. Lee, MD
    Radiation Oncology
Information may change over time. Contact the radiation oncology department to confirm current services, physician availability, referral requirements, and insurance coverage.

See other confirmed LDRT locations across Idaho, or browse the full nationwide directory.

Questions Patients Often Ask

Does insurance cover LDRT at this location?

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.

Do I need a referral?

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.

Is the radiation dose safe?

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. The radiation oncologist above can walk through how the benefit and risk apply to your specific case.

What does a course of treatment look like?

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.

See the full LDRT FAQ for more on cost, safety, effectiveness, and what to expect.

Learn More

What Is LDRT?

How the treatment works, the typical schedule, and what the evidence shows.

Am I a Candidate?

What programs generally look for before recommending LDRT.

Is It Covered by Insurance?

What Medicare and most commercial plans typically cover.

LDRT for Knee Osteoarthritis

The joint with the most direct clinical trial evidence.

LDRT for Hip Osteoarthritis

How the evidence and dosing approach apply to the hip.

LDRT for Hand and Thumb Osteoarthritis

For finger and thumb-base joint pain.

What to Expect

What a typical LDRT appointment and course of treatment looks like.

LDRT Side Effects

What's known about safety and the most commonly reported side effects.

LDRT Success Rates

What the published response and pain-relief rates actually show.

Read the FAQ

Answers to the most common questions patients ask before their first appointment.