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What is Radiation Therapy? A course of radiation is usually between 4 – 6 weeks consisting of daily treatments, 5 days a week. What to expect? Before starting treatment you will have an orientation appointment on the simulator. This is a planning session. At this meeting you will have approximately five permanent dots (tiny dot tattoos) marked on your skin. These marks allow the technician to accurately line up the treatment area each day. Each treatment is planned to meet your own individual needs and requirements. Your treatment involves lying on a table where the technician will line up the machine to the permanent marks. You will be asked to lie still, the therapists will leave the room and the machine will start. You can talk to the therapists as they are watching you over closed circuit television. During each treatment, you get a dose of radiation from a machine that controls where and how much radiation is given. Depending on what type of cancer you have, the breast, surrounding tissue, and lymph nodes may also be treated. Each position treatment is very quick and most of the time will be the setting up of the machine. You will not feel anything during the treatment but it is very common to feel anxious about the treatment initially. Hints Radiation therapy can produce some side effects such as lethargy, skin reaction, oedema, tenderness, fibrosis, fat necrosis and slight pneumonitis. You may also feel nauseated. Having to travel to the hospital each day can make you feel quite tired. One of the most important things you can do over this time is to look after the treated skin area. No hot water, soap, lotions or other possible irritants should be placed on the skin. Wear loose, light clothing over the area being treated. Avoid heat from hair dryers, electric hot pads, hot water bottles and sun. Avoid cold exposure of the treatment area. Excessive cold winds or ice packs etc should be avoided. No adhesive tapes or sticking plasters should be applied to the skin. |
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