Welcome to Radiation Oncology Associates (ROA). Our group has its origins in 1937, when we opened one of Australia's first dedicated cancer practices in Macquarie Street, Sydney, a location that was seen as the centre for high-quality, specialist medical care for decades.

Since the decentralisation of specialist health care to major suburban centres throughout Sydney in the 1980s, our practice has grown and, today, ROA encompasses major cancer facilities in Sydney's St Vincent's and Mater hospitals –- internationally recognised major teaching hospitals located in the centre of Sydney and in Sydney's North Shore.
As well as servicing local patients, both hospitals treat patients from all around New South Wales, interstate areas, and countries of the Pacific rim.

ROA is a private practice, and we are available to treat any patient who requires radiation as part of their management.

We provide a personalised, prompt service without the worry caused by public centre waiting lists.

The treatment of cancer today is a highly complex area with the emphasis on:

1. Early diagnosis
2. Expert imaging and diagnostic testing to establish a precise diagnosis
3. Establishment of the best possible treatment alternatives available.

This often involves many professional disciplines such as radiology, nuclear medicine, pathology, surgery, radiation and medical oncology, social support and counselling, as well as general physician care and palliative care (comfort care to help ease symptoms and improve life for those who have an incurable disease).

In the past decade, this intense and complex care has resulted in significant improvements in the number of people who survive cancer and achieve the best possible outcome from their treatment.
We understand that such improvements in cancer care are critical to provide our patients with the greatest chance for cure, or the best outlook possible.

Radiation Oncology Associates takes pride in the quality of our care, our staff, and our equipment. We employ the latest available technology and equipment at both our Mater and St Vincent's sites. All of our machines are regularly upgraded and replaced as needed to maintain our lead in this critical area of cancer management.

As well as traditional external beam radiation therapy, which delivers a beam of radiation using a machine similar to a large X-ray machine, we offer modern techniques such as:

1. Conformal radiation therapy, a technique that uses scanning to produce images of the tumour, allowing radiation to be delivered in high doses in precisely the right area, even in tumours that are irregular in shape, or are in delicate areas such as the brain.
2. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), a technique that treats the tumour with small beams of different strengths of radiation to enhance the sparing of normal tissue and maximise the dose to the tumour area especially in certain body sites.
3. Brachytherapy, a technique that places radiation in direct contact with the tumour, usually through temporary or permanent implants in the form of radioactive “seeds” or catheters
4. Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT), a technique performed during surgery in which a high dose of radiation is focused on the tissue surrounding the tumour area without irradiating normal tissue.

Our equipment allows us to access cancer in all areas of the body, and many of our specialists are recognised experts in site-specific diseases. This expertise provides our patients with the best possible opinions and treatment options available in Australia.

Our staff members are senior, both in experience and qualifications, so we are compassionate and understanding of the needs of each patient who undergoes cancer therapy – and we understand what each family is going through while a loved one is undergoing therapy. Our experience leads to understanding.