Procedures

ABOUT RADIATION THERAPY

THE TREATMENT PROCEDURE

The physicians of the Cancer Care Institute Dr. Morteza Dowlateshahi and Dr. Ly Viet Do and Dr. Cathy Su oversee all phases of the protocol of treatment for each patient. They will conduct a lengthy initial consultation with the patient and their family prior to initiating a 3D Simulation and appropriate treatment plan.

• PROCEDURE LIST
• Initial Consultation
• Simulation
• Treatment Plan

INITIAL CONSULTATION

Your first visit to the Center is for consultation. The radiation oncologist and staff review your medical history, blood tests, x-rays, and other examinations. If necessary, additional studies may be ordered.

The radiation oncologist then sits down with you and your family to describe how radiation therapy works, whether it is a treatment option, the possible side effects, and answers any questions. <TOP>

SIMULATION

The first step in radiation therapy is simulation, a process that defines the "treatment port" or precise area on your body to focus treatment. While you lie on the simulation table – a special type of x-ray table – a radiation therapist takes x-ray images and studies them.

There may be more than one treatment port. The radiation therapist may mark the ports on your body with tiny dots of colored ink to outline the treatment area. Simulation takes from a half-hour to approximately two hours. <TOP>

TREATMENT PLAN

The radiation oncologist devises a treatment plan, based on the type of tumor, its size, and its location to nearby organs. The medical physicist and/or dosimetrist performs calculations to insure that the tumor will get the radiation dose prescribed by the oncologist and helps determine the means of treatment delivery.

The plan may call for special shields to protect normal tissues and organs during treatment. Plastic or plaster forms to help you remain still may also be recommended.

The Center always informs your referring physician of the treatment plan and keeps the physician fully informed as the treatment progresses.
The treatment plan is carefully carried out and monitored by our certified radiation therapists. The Center uses a linear accelerator to apply external beam radiation to the treatment site. The accelerator produces ionizing radiation which destroys tumor cells.

External beam therapy is usually administered four or five times a week for a few minutes each treatment. An entire course of treatment may last from one to nine weeks, depending on the type of tumor and the treatment goal. <TOP>