Radiation Oncology Part 1 - Treatment

Almost as daunting as the initial diagnosis of Cancer is the leap into the intimidating realm of the treatment itself. This article will focus on the radiation experience specifically. The information contained in this article was gathered from the author's coursework as well as the Oncology Nursing Society, or ONS (full sources are noted at the end of the article).

Radiation treatment can be used to eradicate a specific cancer tumor or it can be used in palliative care. For instance, in terminal or end-stage patients where cancer has spread to their bones, radiation treatment is often used to kill off some of the cancer in order to lessen the pain felt by the patient.

The first step in understanding your radiation treatment is getting to know the individuals responsible for your medical care and sense of well-being.

Radiation Oncology Team Members:

This team consists of physicians, nurses and technicians who work both in the forefront and behind the scenes to give you the best and most accurate treatment and follow-up care possible.

The radiation oncologist is the physician responsible for prescribing the treatment, monitoring the patient's medical status during treatment, managing treatment side effects and evaluating patient outcomes.

The radiation oncology nurse is a registered nurse responsible for patient assessment and education, monitoring the treatment course and related side effects, developing interventions to manage side effects and promoting self-care skills.

The registered radiation therapist is responsible for assisting the technical planning of treatment during the simulation and for delivering the daily prescribed dose of radiation.

The medical physicist and dosimetrist work with the physician to establish the most suitable direction and size of the radiation beams. They also calculate the time necessary for each radiation treatment and ensure that the radiation is being properly delivered.