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Radiation Therapy Treatment
This is general information about the treatment planning and radiation therapy treatment process.
Our staff will review your specific plan with you during your visits to the Radiation Therapy
Department. Please talk to any member of your treatment team (Doctor, Radiation Therapist or
Nurse) about your questions or concerns.
Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning
An exact treatment plan is required for you before starting your course of radiation therapy
treatments. You will get a phone call from the Radiation Therapy Scheduler regarding your
appointment for your planning visit.
The Radiation Therapist will tell you about the planning procedure and will take you to a Simulator
(a special x-ray machine used to plan your radiation treatment).
- Please try not to arrange other appointments on the same day as your simulator visit.
- We always try to be on time but in case there is a delay and you have to wait we suggest that you bring something to do or read.
- For some radiation planning and treatments, you will be given a separate information sheet telling you about what to expect.
The Radiation Oncologist, with the help of the Radiation Therapist and sometimes a Dosimetrist or Medical Physicist, will map out
the area of your body that needs to be treated. This simulator visit usually takes between 15 minutes to one hour to complete.
If your treatment plan is complex, more than one visit to the simulator may be needed before you start your treatment. The planning
procedure may include any or all of the following points:
- X-ray(s) or a CT scan will be taken of the area(s) to be treated.
- The Radiation Therapists will mark the treatment area on your skin with an ink marker and often tattoo points that will be used when setting you up for your daily treatment. For patients who need radiation therapy to the head or neck area, a special mask will be made before the planning x-ray or CT scan is done. This mask is to help keep patients still and so the marks showing the treatment area are put on the mask, and not on the skin. This mask will be worn every day for treatment.
- The Radiation Therapist will take measurements needed for the detailed calculations for your treatment plan.
Once the pictures and measurements needed for planning are completed, Dosimetrists and Medical Physicists along with
Radiation Oncologists will use specialized computer systems to design the best approach for delivering the radiation
in your treatment. This plan will be checked by Medical Physicists and the plan then transferred to the treatment unit. Before treatment, the plan is reviewed again by Radiation Therapists on the unit.
Radiation therapy uses x-rays, and electrons to treat cancer and control the symptoms caused by cancer.
Once treatments begin, your treatment appointments will be every day, Monday through Friday. Your treatment may be over several days or
weeks and you may start your treatment on any day of the week. There are no regularly scheduled treatments on weekends or statutory
holidays. Your appointment will be 10- 30 minutes long. Most of this time is spent positioning you for treatment. The actual total
amount of time that the radiation beam is on is usually for only 1 or 2 minutes.
You will not feel anything during your treatment. On your first day of treatment a Radiation Therapist will talk to you about your
treatment and give you advice on how to manage your own care such as washing, diet and how to cope with any side effects you may
get from the treatment.
While you have your treatment, the Radiation Therapists leave the room but watch you on a monitor and listen to you by intercom.
The radiation can be stopped easily at any time and will switch off automatically once your treatment has been given.
Your Doctor (Radiation Oncologist) and/or your primary Nurse will see you at least once a week during your treatment to see how you are and to answer any questions you may have about your treatment and any side effects.
Feel free to talk to your treatment team about any questions or concerns you or your family may have.
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