Electron Therapy

What is Electron Therapy?

Electron therapy is a type of external beam radiation where high energy, small particles, called electrons, are used to treat cancer. This method of treatment may be selected when the goal of therapy is to treat tumor site(s) that are on the skin or near the surface of the body (superficial) without causing damage to the healthy tissues or organs underneath. Cancers that may be treated with electron therapy include, but are not limited to, some skin and breast cancers.

How does Electron Therapy work?

To carefully plan all aspects of your treatment, a patient will be scheduled for a planning session, called simulation. This appointment will generally take about an hour, as customized devices will be created to ensure that the radiation conforms to the treatment area and that the position in which a patient receives treatment can be reproduced each day. This will involve taking pictures and marking the target area. Shielding may be constructed to protect the healthy tissues in the body. As well, a special pliable material may be molded to the skin in the treatment area to help draw the radiation to the surface of the skin and protect the underlying structures. This is referred to as a bolus. All devices and molds created during simulation will be removed in between treatment sessions.

Once treatment has been planned, the patient will return to the center for a number of treatment sessions as prescribed by the physician. He/she will be placed in the same position for each session, and any device that was created specifically for the patient will be placed accordingly. Therapy will be delivered by a machine, called a linear accelerator. A treatment cone, which is an attachment that extends from the linear accelerator and helps to shape and focus the electron beam, will be set up very close to the part of the body that will receive the radiation. Each treatment will generally be delivered in 10 minutes or less.