Radiation treatment is usually delivered over the course of several weeks. For instance, external beam treatments are given five days a week, for 5 to 8 weeks. Patients receiving palliative (treatments that relieve the symptoms of cancer) care may only be treated for 2 to 3 weeks. The weekends allow your normal cells “time off” to recover.

For most high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy patients, radiation is administered in three treatments, lasting 5-20 minutes, once a week.

It is important to maintain the scheduled course of your treatments in order to maximize the effectiveness of your therapy.

When you arrive, sign in at the front desk, make yourself comfortable and help yourself to one of the complementary beverages. A radiation therapist will notify you when they are ready to begin your treatment.

The radiation therapist will lead you to one of the treatment rooms, where you will lie down on a table. Then, using the marks applied to your skin during simulation, the therapist will correctly position your body.

It is very important to remain still during treatment. Any immobilization devices constructed during simulation will be used at this time. The goal is to protect healthy tissue by limiting treatment to the area specified by your radiation oncologist. Please note that it is perfectly alright to breathe normally – you do not have to hold your breath during treatment.

In addition to the immobilization devices, the therapist may also place blocks in the equipment to shield healthy tissue and organs.

Before treatment begins, your radiation therapist will leave the room. The radiation equipment is operated from a central control outside the room. You will be closely monitored by camera and intercom during the procedure, so the therapists will be able to see, hear and communicate with you.

As with x-rays, you will not feel any pain from the radiation during treatment. In fact, there is little or no discomfort at all during treatment. Some HDR brachytherapy patients may find the insertion of an applicator – through which radiation is administered – slightly uncomfortable, but not painful. External beam radiation patients will hear a whirring sound as the equipment rotates to administer radiation from different angles. While this sound may be a little disconcerting at first, the procedure itself will not cause pain.

Soft music is played during treatment to soothe your emotions, and patients are also welcome to bring their own tapes in.

When the treatment is completed, the therapist will come back into the room to assist you from the table.

Once every week, you will meet with your radiation oncologist, who will review your treatment with you, as well as check for any side effects or reactions. In addition, your doctor will answer any questions you may have.

Also on a weekly basis, one of the nurses will draw a blood sample for anaylsis in order to monitor your blood counts.