Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapists, supervised by your radiation oncologist, will deliver your treatments. These are state-licensed professionals who are specially trained to administer radiation therapy. By law, your doctor can’t operate the radiation machine for treatment, but they will oversee your care every step of the way.

Radiation therapists will be monitoring you through a camera and intercom system during your treatment session. They won’t be in the treatment room with you due to radiation exposure risk, but they can hear and see you the entire time. You’ll be shown how to signal for assistance if treatment needs to be stopped.

You’ll meet with your radiation oncologist at least once per week, usually for a short visit following treatment, without needing to book a separate appointment.

Most prescription medications and supplements don’t interact with radiation therapy.

Chemotherapy is an exception; your oncologist will coordinate with your chemotherapy doctor if both are administered.

You’ll be asked to provide a complete list of medications and supplements to your care team and notify them of any changes during treatment.

Radiation side effects vary depending on the area being treated, the dose of radiation and your overall health. Common side effects include mild to more pronounced fatigue and skin irritation, such as redness, dryness or sensitivity in the treated area. You may also notice temporary changes such as swelling or hair loss in the treated areas.

Your care team monitors you closely and helps manage your symptoms. Most side effects disappear after treatment ends.

The equipment used for external beam therapy is called a linear accelerator. The patient lies down on a treatment table and is placed under the machine. The machine does not touch the patient.

A linear accelerator can rotate 360° around the patient. The physician will, through the treatment planning process, prescribe the direction in which the X-ray beam is aimed.

For very select cases, especially skin lesions, superficial X-rays may be used. The physicians will select which machine is appropriate for your circumstances.

Generally, radioactive substances aren’t used for treatment. There are some exceptions, like brachytherapy, a procedure where a radiation source is placed inside the body, and Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery.

For all other types of radiation therapy, radiation is generated by the machine and stops as soon as your session ends.

Normal cells have robust DNA repair mechanisms from exposure to environmental radiation. Cancer cells focus their energy on dividing and are less capable of repairing DNA damage from radiation, making them more susceptible.

There are several online resources that offer comprehensive and easy-to-understand information, including:

• American Cancer Society
• The American Society of Clinical Oncology
• The American Society for Radiation Oncology’s Radiation Therapy (RT) Answers
• The National Cancer Institute

Your radiation oncologist and care team are also available to answer any questions you have.