Daily Treatment Routine

Even if the planning session went smoothly and everything is ready for you to start your treatment, you might still feel uneasy on the first day of radiation therapy. Once you begin your treatment, you can feel more relaxed and be reassured that the treatment is going to help you, not hurt you. Here's what to expect during a typical visit to the treatment center:

• When you arrive at the treatment center you'll change into a hospital gown or robe. You'll also need to remove clothing on the upper half of your body as well as any jewelry that might get in the way of the treatment.
• A radiation therapist will bring you to a treatment room where you will be placed in the treatment position. Typically, you'll lie on your back with your arm (the one on the side of the breast area being treated) raised above your head. Most treatment centers use an immobilization device to secure your position and make you more comfortable. If you are receiving radiation after mastectomy, the therapist may place a bolus (a flat piece of rubber-like material) on top of your skin, which increases the radiation dose to your skin and to the tissues right below it.

• Personal Quote

  "I wasn't afraid until the first treatment. I just got uneasy about having radiation aimed near my heart. But my doctor talked to me and she helped me understand why it was safe and how much effort went into targeting the dose where it belongs. It's important to learn to trust both your doctor and the treatment process."
  
  —Marjorie

  Next, the technician will carefully line up the linear accelerator to treat each treatment field. Most of the time in the treatment room will be spent waiting for the technician to move the linear accelerator into position for each treatment field. After the machine is positioned, the technician will leave the room. Although you may feel alone, you are not. The technician can see you through a window or on a television screen and can hear through an intercom at all times.
• The technician will then turn on the machine to deliver the dose of radiation. Since you cannot feel radiation, the only way you will know when you are exposed is by the whirring sound of the machine. During this time, you must remain completely still, though you don't have to hold your breath. It only takes between 30 seconds and a few minutes to deliver the radiation (depending on the kind and dose of the radiation being used).
• The technician will then come back into the room to find the position for the next field to be treated. Typically, you will have two different fields treated each day. If the adjacent lymph nodes are also being treated, one to three fields may be added.
• Although there are individual differences, all radiation oncology centers try to work efficiently so that the daily treatment process takes between 15 and 30 minutes.
• Each week, you will have X-rays taken of the treatment field. These are called "port films." Your doctor uses these to double-check that the radiation is precisely hitting the correct areas of your body. Because the tattoos on your skin can shift from side to side, it's important to have one more way to make sure that the treatment is precise.