Radiation Therapy

Initial Visit – During your initial visit, your appointment at the Cancer Center will consist of:

• Consultation – You will meet with your radiation oncologist who will review all of your medical history, diagnostic tests, etc. and discuss your treatment options and expectations as well as the planned course of radiation treatment. You will receive a large amount of information on this visit, so it may be helpful to have a friend or family member accompany you to help digest the information and ask questions. It may also be helpful to write down any questions you have before you come. This initial visit usually takes about 30 minutes and includes a nursing assessment by the Radiation Oncology Nurse. Bring all your medications or a list with you to the first visit.
• CT Simulation – This procedure is performed on the first visit to map out the location of the tumor and the area that the radiation oncologist wants to treat with radiation. A Computerized Tomography (CT) machine is used to establish treatment boundaries for each patient. The CT Simulation is non-invasive and takes about 30 minutes. During the procedure, the patient must lie very still on a flat table while alignment marks are drawn on the skin with a paint marker to indicate the treatment area.
  
  Reminders about your Skin
  Skin Markings: The first day films are taken, colored marks will be drawn on your skin outlining the area to be treated. These marks are to remain on your skin until the first day you receive a treatment. Since these marks are not permanent, be careful not to wash them off when bathing.
  
  The day you receive your first radiation treatment, the marks on your skin will be replaced by small tattoos. The tattoos are permanent marks. Once the treatment area is tattooed, the colored marks can be washed off.
  
  Patients do not usually receive radiation treatment on their first visit. At the end of the simulation process, you will be given an appointment to return for your first treatment.

Treatment Planning Process – After your initial visit, your medical team will meet to develop a treatment plan for you. Depending on the complexity of your treatment, the plan can take anywhere from one day to one week to develop. Using the CT Scan and a complex treatment planning computer, the physics team – made up of a physicist, dosimetrist and radiation oncologist – determines the best method of treating a patient’s individual cancer.

Daily Treatments – As the name implies, treatments are given Monday through Friday. Each treatment generally takes about 10 minutes. The patient chooses a convenient time and will come at that same time every day. We will work with the patient if something comes up, i.e. another appointment, sickness, transportation problems, etc.

The physician will see each patient weekly, usually on Monday, to answer questions, evaluate side effects and see how the patient is doing. However, the nurse and the physician are available at anytime during the course of treatment.

Treatment is not given on weekends in order to allow the normal tissue to heal itself or regenerate. The Center is closed on holidays as well.

Follow-Up Visits – Upon completion of radiation, the patient will generally be scheduled to see the Radiation Oncologist in two to three weeks. At that time the patient will be evaluated to make sure they have recovered from any radiation side effects. After that visit, the patient will be turned back over to the referring physician for follow-up. The referring physician may consult with the radiation oncologist again if radiation is needed in the future.

Chemotherapy

Outpatient chemotherapy and IV antibiotics are prescribed by your physician and can be administered in the Outpatient Infusion Center located in the Roy Richards Sr. Cancer Center.