Treatment Process

VIDEO 3: Treatment

When it is time to begin treatment, the patient will be positioned on the treatment machine, called a linear accelerator, exactly as during the simulation process, using any positioning devices that were created at that time. Certified therapists will make the patient as comfortable as possible while ensuring that he/she is positioned correctly for optimal treatment performance.

Once the patient is set up, the therapists exit the room and treatment begins. The arm on the linear accelerator will rotate around the body, delivering radiation from different angles. The actual treatment is painless, but the patient will hear a variety of different noises while the treatment machine is doing its job. This is normal. The radiation therapist will be watching from a room next door called the control room. The patient can communicate with him/her at any time during the treatment.

Each treatment session will take approximately 15-30 minutes. This includes the time it takes to position the patient.