What to Expect During External Beam Therapy

Radiation therapy is delivered on an outpatient basis with treatments given daily.

We will set up a series of appointments over several days for you. They will include consultation, planning, pretreatment check, and first day of treatment.

In certain situations, more than one type of appointment may occur on the same day. For example, when appropriate a pretreatment check may occur on the same day as your first treatment.

To find out more about each of these visits, click the links below:

• First visit: Consultation
• Visit two: Planning
• Visit three: Pretreatment check
• Visit four: First day of treatment
• On-treatment visit

 

First visit: Consultation:

Your radiation oncologist will examine you and review your medical chart, X-rays, CT scan, and laboratory tests. He or she can then decide whether you should receive radiation therapy and, if so, what type of treatment is best for you. If you need radiation therapy, the radiation oncologist will discuss the benefits of treatment and any possible side effects. If radiation is recommended and you elect to proceed with treatment, you will be scheduled for a planning visit. Before you come for the planning visit, you will also be scheduled for a half-hour teaching session with one of our nurses. At that appointment, you will learn more about the potential side effects of radiation therapy and ways to feel your best during the course of treatment.

Visit Two: Planning:

This appointment, sometimes called a planning session or simulation, prepares you for your radiation treatment. At one to two hours, the planning session is the longest appointment you will have during the course of your treatment. In order to direct treatment to the cancer site and minimize damage to surrounding cells, your radiation oncologist will use a CT scanner/simulator to locate the area of your body to be treated. A radiation therapist will use a marking pen and protective stickers to indicate the area to be treated and aid in daily setup. If the marks come off before your radiation treatment begins, do not put the marks back on yourself; we will refresh the marks when you come in for your treatment.

We will take photographs of your face, the area to be treated, and the position in which you will be placed for every treatment. Your medical team will use these pictures to identify you before each treatment and to verify your treatment area and position. Most patients do not receive a radiation treatment during the planning session. At the end of the session, we will set up your next appointment.

Using the information gained from the planning session, your radiation oncologist and other members of your care team will plan your treatment. This process will generally take several days, and sometimes more than a week.

Visit three: Pre treatment check:

During this appointment, we will verify your treatment by taking X-rays. These X-ray images help ensure you are properly positioned for your treatment. Your medical team will review and confirm all information collected in previous visits. After this appointment, your treatment team will verify that the fields created during planning correlate with those taken on the treatment machine. Adjustments may be made to achieve this goal. Once the correlation is confirmed, tiny permanent reference marks will be made on your skin. Your radiation treatment will begin with your next visit.

Visit four: First day of treatment:

The length of each treatment varies, but they are typically 15 minutes or less. However, please allow 30 minutes for each appointment to give yourself time for undressing and dressing. We normally give treatments promptly at their scheduled times. Each treatment will be at the same time at each visit. Most people experience no pain during radiation treatment.

A team of radiation therapists will administer your radiation treatment. They will place you on the treatment table and carefully position you for treatment. It’s very important that you remain in this position without moving while you receive treatment. You will be alone in the treatment room, but a therapist will watch you on a video screen and can talk to you through an intercom. Stay in position even after the machine shuts off, and wait until the therapist enters the room to help you down from the table.

On-Treatment visits

As you progress through treatment, your physician will check in with you at least once a week. This will be done after your daily treatment, typically on a Thursday. Your physician will discuss your progress and make suggestions to help you with any side effects that may develop. You may also meet with your nurse for additional help with managing side effects.

If you are having problems or have questions, you do not need to wait for your weekly visit. Let the staff know and they will arrange for you to meet with your doctor or nurse.