Radiation Treatment Typically
Radiation treatment typically given in a separate room from the simulation room. Treatment plans and treatment fields resulting from the simulation session are transferred to the treatment room, which contains a linear accelerator focused on a patient table similar to the simulation room. The treatment plan is verified and treatment started only after the radiation oncologist and technicians have rechecked the treatment field and calculations, and are completely satisfied with the “start treatment.”
During radiation treatment, you should be lying very still on the treatment table while the radiation beam is directed to the exact area of the tumor. The machine and the treatment table can rotate 360 degrees if the radiation treatment needs to attack the tumor from all angles. Technicians will not be in the room during treatment, but will be monitored by a video camera and an audio connection with the treatment room. You will not notice when administered radiation.
Radiation therapy is usually given once a day, five days a week, usually at the same time each day. Occasionally, treatment is administered less frequently or twice daily. The number of treatments depends on many factors and varies from 5-10 to 40 or more, which means that treatment can last from one to eight weeks or more. Radiation treatments are usually given on an outpatient basis and involve relatively little time each day. Although the first visits can last an hour or more, typically a daily radiation treatment lasts about 15-30 minutes in the treatment room and the actual treatment only lasts a few minutes. It is important not to miss treatments. Expand treatment beyond the recommended time period can reduce the likelihood of controlling cancer.
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