Consultation with your specialist
On your first day, you will come in for a consult with your doctor.
- A radiation oncology nurse will take you into an exam room and check your vital signs
(blood pressure, temperature, pulse) and weight.
- The radiation oncologist will then perform an examination. During your consultation,
your doctor will talk to you about your specific cancer. They will go over the basic
plan of action on how we'll approach your cancer care, discussing all possible side-effects
of radiation treatment.
- You will then have an appointment set up to get your CT scan.
Having your CT scan
A CT scan will give your treatment team a 3D rendering of your internal anatomy. This
scan will be used by our planning department and doctors to create your treatment
plan.
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On the day of your appointment, a radiation therapist will bring you to the CT room.
You will be assisted onto the table and straightened to ensure that your body is aligned
properly. This includes sitting in a reclined position with the arm on the effected
side raised above your head. Your arm needs to be in the same position every time
you come for treatment, to achieve this, we make a device called a VacLok.
- The VacLok starts out with a consistency similar to that of a bean-bag chair, this
is formed around your elbow. Then, all of the air will be vacuumed out to create
a mold of your arm. After the VacLok is made, you will be scanned, once again, to
ensure that your internal anatomy is perfectly aligned. When the therapist is satisfied,
you will be ready for the actual CT scan. Lasers will be used to mark crosshairs
on your skin, and “BB’s” will be placed over these marks so that their location can
be seen on the CT scan.
- Next, the scan will be performed. The CT table will move through the scanner. You
will not feel anything because nothing will actually touch you. The room is mounted
with cameras and audio equipment so that the therapist can see and hear you at all
times should you need anything. At this point you will need to remain as still and
relaxed as possible.
- After your scan is complete, you will be assisted off the CT table and given an appointment
time for your first treatment. If that has not yet been determined, the clinic will
call you with more information and an appointment time when your plan has been completed.
Your treatment plan
Your scan will be sent to Varian Eclipse Planning System for our dosimetrists and
physicians to review and create your individualized radiation treatment plan. The
planning process can take up to a week. When the team has completed your plan, you
will be assigned to a treatment room and given an initial appointment.
What happens during your treatment
Your first appointment will take a little longer than the rest of your treatments.
- You will be taken to a treatment room and get in the same position that you were in
during your CT scan. The table will be raised, and you will be aligned to the crosshairs
that were marked on your skin. While trying to get you aligned, the therapists will
be moving you around. You should relax, “lay heavy”, and let the therapist do all
the moving.
- At this point, shifts will be made from these marks based on what the dosimetry team
has planned for you. Once shifts have been made, radiographic images will be taken
to ensure that you are aligned according to your plan and will be checked by your
oncology physician before any actual radiation treatment is administered. It should
be noted that films taken in the treatment room are used for set up and localizing
specific anatomy and do not show a progression or digression of your disease.
- Once these images are approved by the physician, your skin will be remarked and you
will then receive your first treatment. The machine will rotate to different angles
based on your treatment plan. During your treatment, you will not feel the radiation,
however, you will hear the machine buzzing.
Tattooing
After completing your first treatment, permanent marks, or tattoos, will be made on
your skin.
- This involves placing a drop of ink on the skin and using a tiny lancet to make the marks. These tiny permanent marks allow the radiation therapist to ensure consistency in your daily set-up.
- They also allow you, the patient, the freedom to shower or bathe without the worry
of maintaining ink marks and tape on your skin.
Photograph
After the permanent marks have been made, a photograph of your treatment set-up will
be taken for the clinic’s records. This is to ensure that your treatment set-up will
be consistent should a different therapist need to treat you at a later date.
Scheduling
Since this will be the room where you receive your daily treatments, you will discuss
a daily treatment time with your radiation therapist. Available time slots will vary
depending on your treatment room’s schedule. The decided treatment time will be consistent
throughout your treatment regimen. Treatments are given Monday through Friday, you
do not have to come for treatment on Saturday or Sunday.
Weekly Follow-up
After your first week of treatment, every Monday you will visit with a physician.
This is a time when you can talk to the doctor about any concerns or side-effects
you may be experiencing.
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