If you choose to proceed with radiation therapy treatment, you will undergo a CT scan called a simulation.

This step allows the radiation oncologist and medical physicist to view and pinpoint the treatment location in your body, which helps determine the exact position in which you will lie during each treatment. The simulation is an important step in the development of your customized treatment plan, also referred to as a “treatment course”. Simulation helps ensure the radiation therapy treatments you receive are administered the same way each treatment visit.

Using the simulation data, the radiation therapy team creates an individualized treatment plan with advanced computer software. During this stage, our dosimetrist, medical physicist and radiation oncologist collaborate to develop the customized treatment delivery plan for your specific case. The goal of this planning process is to develop a course of treatment that will maximize the dose of radiation the tumor receives to destroy the cancer cells while minimizing exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue.

On the day of your treatment sessions, please wear comfortable clothing. The treatment is painless, and we want you to feel relaxed. We may ask you to remove jewelry if it is close to the area being treated.

When you enter the treatment room, our radiation therapist will help you onto the treatment table. You’re asked to lie still during the treatment session. No sedation is required.

Once you’re positioned for treatment, the radiation therapist exits the treatment room and your session begins. The linear accelerator (LINAC) will rotate around your body, delivering radiation directly to your tumor with pinpoint precision. We’ll observe you throughout the treatment on closed-circuit television, and you can pause the session at any time by waving or speaking to the treatment team.

When your treatment session is complete, you’re allowed to leave and return to your normal activities. Our patients typically resume their daily routines immediately following each procedure.

We’ll schedule follow-up appointments to monitor your progress. This includes additional imaging and meetings with your physician. Our nurse assists physicians with developing a custom plan for your post-treatment care.