External Beam Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is a very effective treatment that can kill cancer cells while preserving the function of nearby normal tissues.  The treatment consists of a series of visits in which painless beams of high energy x-rays or particles are aimed at tumor deposits while care is taken to minimize dose to the surrounding normal tissues.  Radiation therapy may be used either alone or in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy to cure many cancers or to alleviate the distressing symptoms that are sometimes associated with more advanced cancers.

The decision to use radiation therapy for a particular patient is entrusted to a physician called a Radiation Oncologist who specializes in the treatment of cancer with a particular emphasis on the use of radiation.  A patient is referred by their physicians to this board certified specialist to determine whether radiation therapy is the most appropriate option for that individual.  The patient then meets with the radiation oncologist for a consultation at which time the radiation oncologist evaluates many factors, including the type of cancer, the location of the disease, and the patient’s symptoms, to determine if the patient is a suitable candidate for radiation treatments.  At this visit, the radiation oncologist explains to the patient the potential benefits and complications of the proposed treatments. 

Patients who are accepted for radiation are then scheduled for a CT simulation, the first step in the complex process of planning their radiation treatments.  This CT simulation is like a practice treatment in which the radiation oncologist determines the position that the patient will occupy during the treatments, constructs any customized immobilization devices required to help the patient hold still for the therapy, and obtains CT scan images to determine the precise location of the tumor to be targeted and the surrounding normal tissues that need to be shielded from the radiation. 

The radiation oncologist uses these CT images to delineate the targets and design the beams that will be used to treat these targets. The physician then consults with specialized board certified physicists and dosimetrists who supervise the complex calculations that must be performed on powerful computers to blend multiple beams coming into the patient from different directions into an individualized, 3-dimensional plan that delivers the prescribed dose of radiation to the intended targets while minimizing dose to the normal tissues.  The physicists are also responsible for calibrating the equipment to ensure that radiation is delivered with precision. 

Treatments, which typically last less than fifteen minutes each day and are delivered Monday through Friday, are administered by specially trained technologists called radiation therapists.  These therapists deliver the treatments designed by the radiation oncologist and calculated by the dosimetry staff using a state-of-the-art dual energy linear accelerator that is capable of delivering even the most sophisticated treatments, including IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy). IMRT is a technique that allows the physician, through the use of a sophisticated computer system, to specify the radiation dose to the cancer and simultaneously set limits on the dose to healthy organs such as the spinal cord. The result is a treatment plan that carefully paints the cancer with a dose of radiation.

As patients proceed through their treatment course, which can last from one to eight weeks depending on the nature of the patient’s disease, they will be seen regularly by both the radiation oncologist and the nursing staff to assess and address any problems that may arise during the therapy.  Patients can also consult with the cancer center’s nutritionist or social worker for additional, specialized support. 

The entire radiation oncology team is available at all times to provide a full spectrum of support to meet all the needs of the cancer patient.  The team also maintains close contact with your referring physician throughout your treatments to provide timely reports on your progress during the weeks of radiation therapy.

Following completion of your therapy, follow up appointments will be scheduled with the radiation oncologist to monitor your response to radiation.