Radiation Therapy

The first step in your radiation oncology planning process is a computed tomography (CT) simulation session. During this session, your radiation oncologist and radiation therapist will mock up your position to ensure you get treatment in the exact same place during every treatment appointment. Your radiation therapist will help you lie on the CT scan table and place you in the appropriate position to target the tumor. 

Depending on where you need treatment, your radiologist may use a device to help you hold your position and  prevent any unwanted movements during treatment. You’ll use this device for every session. Your radiologist may need to place marks on your skin or use radio-opaque contrast to help show areas of your body that do not need radiation treatment. These marks will be used at every radiology therapy appointment.

During treatment planning, your radiation oncologist and care team will decide what type and dose of radiation to use to treat the cancer. They’ll decide this based on:

• How sensitive the tumor is to radiation

• The ability of the normal tissue in the area to withstand the radiation

• The size of the tumor

They’ll also use 3D treatment planning software to design and optimize your radiation therapy treatment. This software helps your doctor determine the most effective strength of the treatment beam to use while minimizing damage to the healthy tissues surrounding the tumor.

Once your care team creates your treatment plan, they’ll schedule a simulation session to confirm the plan specifications. During this simulation, your radiologist will take X-rays to document how the treatment plan works. They’ll schedule your first radiation treatment appointment once they confirm your treatment plan is set up correctly.

Radiation therapy usually requires five treatments a week for two to eight weeks. These appointments are usually daily, Monday through Friday. We sometimes use other schedules. Your radiation therapist will help you schedule your appointments.

Your radiation therapist will take X-rays every week to make sure you’re still in proper positioning based on your treatment plan. Radiation treatment is like getting an X-ray. You’ll need to lie still, but you won’t feel any pain. During your treatment, you and your radiation therapist will be able to communicate through an intercom.  

During your treatment, you’ll meet with once a week with your radiation oncologist and nurse. These visits give you time to ask any questions you may have or get help with any side effects. You can also reach the on-call radiation oncologist or nurse at any time between appointments. 

After you finish your treatment plan, you’ll meet with your radiation oncologist sometimes to see how you’re doing. Your radiation oncologist will determine how many follow-up appointments you need based on your specific situation.