After the target has been determined by the simulation procedure and a computerized treatment plan has been obtained, reviewed, and approved, the total number of treatments required will be known, as will the required dose of radiation.

The treatments are normally administered daily Monday through Friday. The average treatment course lasts from five to six weeks, although some patients are treated for as little as one week and others as long as nine weeks. The number of treatments required depends upon the total dose of radiation necessary to treat the particular cancer, as determined by the Radiation Oncologist. In certain cases, a patient’s entire treatment may be performed in one session with a high-precision treatment called Stereotactic Radiosurgery using either a specialized linear-accelerator called a Novalis TX or Cyberknife, or another unique machine called the Gamma Knife.

Each treatment normally requires only a few minutes a day and is administered at a set time by appointment. The total time required for each treatment from the time of arrival in the department, undressing, receiving the treatment, and dressing again to depart is usually less than thirty minutes.

You will lie flat on a special table to receive your daily treatment. The x-rays from the linear accelerator pass through the body—you are not radioactive when you leave! The treatment is invisible and painless. There are no injections or discomfort associated with the treatment. Verification “port” films are taken during the treatment on a regular basis to confirm that the appropriate area is being covered. These x-rays, however, do not allow us to accurately assess the status of the cancer. Diagnostic x-rays in the Radiology Department are required to gauge any response to treatment, and are not usually obtained until several weeks after the treatment program is complete. Tumors may continue to shrink for several months after a radiation treatment course.