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Each year, approximately half a million people throughout the United States undergo radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is a method of destroying cancerous and other diseased cells through the use of radiation. This may be used alone or in combination with surgery or chemotherapy.
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To ensure accuracy of our treatments, we first do some planning - a "simulation". During a simulation session, we create a customized immobilization system for every patient. The radiation therapist positions you on a special table with the immobilization system ,so that x-rays, body contours and other measurements can be taken in order to localize treatment volume. The simulation may take up to an hour to perform. Your physician will check these measurements and x-rays to determine the exact area to be treated. The radiation therapist will mark the area with indelible colored ink. Please do not wash off these ink marks until instructed to do so.With the aid of a computer, a treatment is designed to deliver prescribed radiation dose to the tumor curtailing normal tissue damage. This is usually done by applying radiation from several angles, moving the machine around the body, or by using blocks to shield areas of the body. Once the planning is complete, your radiation oncologist will analyze the plan and approve it Now, the information is entered into our computer, giving us the ability to store and double-check you treatment plan.
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Each patient’s treatment is individually tailored, but most consist of daily treatments over a period of three to six weeks (Monday-Friday). These repeated treatments damage the malignant cells so they cannot grow. However, normal cells recover from the repeated treatments. . Your Radiation Oncologist is an expert in the use of radiation equipment for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. The dosimetrist helps the radiation oncologist and physicist plan and calculate dosages for the tumor and normal tissue. The radiation therapist is specially trained to set up the machine to deliver the exact prescribed treatment. Your first treatment will take a little longer than the rest because your doctor and radiation therapist will check your set-up on the treatment machine to make sure the plan is correct. X-rays (port films) will be taken prior to your first treatment. Radiation treatments at subsequent visits usually only take a few minutes, although set-up may take longer. You will be scheduled for your treatment at the same time each day, as close as possible to a time convenient for you.
We are always there to help you.
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