Radiation Therapy in Barranquilla: How to Choose a Specialist and What to Ask Before Starting Treatment

Being told you need radiation therapy raises many questions: Which technique is right for my case? Will I have side effects? How many sessions will I need? Choosing the right specialist to plan and oversee your treatment is one of the most important decisions in the process.

Dr. William Alberto Baquero Iguarán, a specialist in radiation oncology, treats patients in Barranquilla and Santa Marta, including patients from across Colombia and abroad.

Who is Dr. William Baquero?

• Medical degree from Universidad del Norte (Barranquilla, 2005).
• Specialist in Radiation Oncology from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina (2013).
• Additional training at centers in Argentina, Chile, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Mexico, and the United States, including the Netherlands Cancer Institute (Amsterdam) and Clínica Alemana (Santiago, Chile).
• Recent training in high-precision radiation therapy: helical radiation therapy (Radixact) in Switzerland (2026), stereotactic radiation therapy and radiosurgery with Elekta in Munich (2025), and image-guided radiation therapy in Amsterdam (2023).
• Served as a moderator at academic events on prostate brachytherapy (Medellín, 2025).

See his full background

Well-planned radiation therapy depends on the specialist's training and ongoing education, because technology changes quickly.

What do advanced techniques mean for you as a patient?

The names sound complex, but the idea is simple: to direct radiation more precisely at the tumor while protecting nearby healthy tissue.

• IMRT and VMAT: adapt the shape and intensity of the radiation to the shape of the tumor.
• IGRT (image-guided radiation therapy): uses imaging to verify the exact position before each session.
• Stereotactic radiation therapy (SBRT) and radiosurgery: deliver high doses with great precision in a few sessions, in selected cases such as brain or bone metastases or small lesions.
• Helical radiation therapy (TomoTherapy/Radixact): makes it possible to treat large or complex areas with high precision.
• Brachytherapy: places the radiation source very close to or inside the tumor, as in some prostate and gynecological cases.

Not every technique is right for every patient. The choice depends on the type of tumor, its location, the extent of the disease, and previous treatments.

What types of cancer may require radiation therapy?

Dr. Baquero evaluates patients who may need radiation therapy in cases such as:

• Prostate and breast cancer
• Lung cancer
• Brain tumors and brain metastases
• Head and neck cancer
• Gynecological tumors
• Rectal cancer and other gastrointestinal tumors
• Pelvic tumors, spinal lesions, and bone metastases

Request an Appointment

What happens at the first consultation?

Your pathology reports, diagnostic imaging, previous treatments, and medical history are reviewed. With this information, the available options, what to expect from treatment, and possible side effects are explained, so you can make a clear, informed decision.

What to bring: pathology report, imaging studies (MRI, CT, PET), reports of previous surgeries or chemotherapy, and your medical records.

Frequently asked questions

How many sessions does radiation therapy take?
It depends on the case. It can range from a single session (in some radiosurgery treatments) to several weeks of daily treatment. The specialist determines the schedule based on your diagnosis.

Does radiation therapy hurt?
The session itself does not hurt; it is similar to having an X-ray. Some side effects may appear over the following days and depend on the area being treated.

What is the difference between radiation therapy and chemotherapy?
Radiation