What is Radiation Therapy?
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
What is Radiation Therapy?
Your radiation oncologist has prescribed radiation therapy as part of your overall treatment, which may also include surgery or chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is a form of cancer treatment that uses radiation (x-rays) to destroy cancer cells. The radiation treatment is delivered using a machine called a linear accelerator.
Radiation therapy is a localised treatment which means that the treatment is delivered to a specific area of your body. Cancer cells are destroyed because they are more sensitive to radiation than normal cells. The normal cells in the treated area will be affected to some extent, but they have the ability to repair themselves against the damage.
Your doctor will decide the total dose and number of treatments you will have depending on the type of cancer and the area being treated. The dose that is delivered each day is determined by your radiation oncologist and is referred to as your prescription. They will provide you with information about the side effects of your treatment.
Simulation
Before the treatment can start, you will need to attend a planning appointment where your treatment will be simulated. You will not receive any treatment at this appointment but you will be placed in the treatment position and will have a CT scan. This scan will provide important information needed to plan your treatment. Your radiation oncologist may also ask that you have contrast for this scan which is used to highlight certain internal anatomy on your scan.
When having radiation treatment, it is very important that you remain as still as possible. To help with this, the radiation therapists may use different equipment to support your body and keep you comfortable…
Radiation Therapy Equipment Used
There are many types of devices available and the radiation therapist will decide what is most suitable. Examples of these include:
For some patients, permanent small tattoo dots may be required to help position you for your treatment. These dots are placed on or close to the area of the body that will be treated and are mainly used for patients having treatment on their chest, pelvis or limbs. They are very tiny dots and look like a small freckle.
Using all the information gathered from your planning sessions, the radiation oncologist and radiation therapist will design a treatment plan tailored specifically for your needs.
Treatment Planning
In some cases, you may have to wait a week or more to start your treatment even though you have had all the simulation. This is rarely due to waiting lists and more because it takes time for the radiation therapists and your oncologist to plan the treatment that is just right for you.
They have to ensure that all the tumour area is covered and also make sure that your normal tissue is receiving the lowest dose possible.
Once the plan is completed, it is then checked by a number of other professionals so that we can ensure that the treatment you receive is accurate.
Radiation Therapy Treatment
For your treatment, the staff will lead you into the treatment room and position you on the treatment couch in the same position you were in when you had the planning CT scan. The radiation therapists will adjust your position until you are in the correct position for treatment, after which it is important to keep still. The treatment position should be comfortable and you may breathe normally.
The staff will leave the room while you are receiving radiation. They will be watching you closely on TV monitors and treatment can be stopped at any time if necessary.
There is no pain or sensation with these treatments. It is just like getting a picture taken!
Your treatment may involve treating you from a number of different directions. The machine can rotate around you so it is not necessary for you to change positions.
You may be in the treatment room for up to 30 minutes; however the actual time the machine is on from each direction is very short. You will not feel or see anything while the radiation is being delivered but you may hear the machine operating.
Patient Information
It is important that you bring the following with you to your first appointment at the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre:
•Referral letter
•Medicare card
•All scans and x-rays
•Past medical history
•List of medications
•List of any allergies
One thing that you should really try to remember is that all of the nurses, technicians, and doctors are here to help you in the best way they can. They have your best interests at heart and they are eager to see you get well.
Hopefully, this pictorial display has given you a much better understanding of the radiation therapy process. If there is still anything you don’t understand or are really confused about, ask your doctors and they will answer your questions in the best way that they know. Remember, these are not just people in white coats, they are your friends.