Kia ora — welcome to Waikato Regional Cancer Centre.
Our department provides radiation therapy as one of the options in the treatment of cancer.
We treat thousands of patients annually.
The first time you attend the radiation oncology department, you'll meet someone like myself, a radiation oncologist or medical specialist treating cancer patients using radiotherapy.
We will explain to you in this first session about your diagnosis.
We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having radiotherapy as part of your overall treatment package.
We'll explain the procedures before, during, and after treatment and most likely side effects you will experience short and long-term.
We will offer you a good opportunity for questions, so everything is clear before you may consent for therapy.
Your radiation oncologist will oversee the steps of your journey all the way.
The first step of this process is to have a CT simulation, which is located on Level 1 of the Lomas Building.
When you arrive, please check in with the receptionist and then take a seat.
The CT simulator is a special scan that is used to take pictures inside your body.
It is not a diagnostic scan and isn't used to provide additional information about your diagnosis.
However, this scan is used by the radiation therapists to design your treatment plan.
The radiation therapist will greet you, confirming your address and phone number.
They will also explain the CT procedures and preparation required before the scan.
You will also be asked if you have a pacemaker or any metal in your body.
If you are a female patient, please notify staff if you think you could be pregnant.
Any garments covering the area being scanned will need to be removed.
A sheet will be provided to cover you up.
You will be asked to lie on the CT couch.
Your radiation therapist will direct you into a position that is stable and tailored to your treatment.
Various devices may be used to stabilise your position.
Equipment will depend on the area of the body that is being scanned.
These can include:
- head and neck board
- tilt up breast board
- customised vac bag.
Lights will be dimmed and laser lights that project from the wall will be used to get you in a straight and reproducible position.
Pen marks will be drawn on your skin or shell.
Wire markers are then placed on these to highlight them.
For some setups, a device may be placed on your chest to monitor breathing.
Once you are in the correct position, you will move through the CT scanner.
The couch moves in and out of the scanner, it will not touch you at any time.
The radiation therapists operate the scanner from the console.
They can see you through the glass window and speak to you over the speaker.
At the completion of the scan, photos of your position will be taken.
Permanent dot tattoos may be given to aid in positioning daily treatment.
A sterile needle is used to gently prick the skin and excess ink is cleaned off.
Information from the scan is used to plan your treatment.
The process can take up to a few weeks depending on how complex your plan is.
The receptionist will then notify you by email, letter or a phone call when your treatment will start.
Using the information obtained from the CT scan, an individual plan is produced.
A 'target volume' is determined on the computer planning system.
There are many different techniques that we can use to plan your treatment.
These are some of them.
We calculate the best method and beam arrangement for the dose of radiation to be delivered to the 'target volume', while at the same time avoiding as much normal tissue as possible.
Time is required for these planning calculations and checks to be done.
Treatment is started as soon as possible following the completion of this process.
Radiation therapy can be used alone or together with surgery or chemotherapy.
Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy x-rays which damage the DNA structure of cancer cells, and as a result, those damaged cancer cells are unable to divide and so it dies off.
Unfortunately, radiation also damages the DNA of normal tissue, but the cells in normal tissue are better at repairing radiation damage, and as a result, that allows us to give the radiation treatment safely.
Unlike chemotherapy, which affects the whole body, radiation treatment only affects the part of the body that's directly surrounding the treatment area.
The most common questions we get are whether the patient will be radioactive during or after their treatment, and fortunately, this is not the case, so you will be free to carry on with your daily activities as if you are not radioactive.
The radiation therapy machines are located on level B1 in the Lomas Building.
These machines are called Linear accelerators, and they deliver the radiation therapy treatment.
On your first day, check in with reception and then they will direct you to your treatment machine.
Place your appointment card on the counter, change into your hospital gown, and then take a seat in the waiting room.
You will be greeted by a radiation therapist, who will confirm your address and phone number.
They will then lead you into the treatment room.
They will enquire as to your wellbeing on that day before they proceed with your treatment.
You will be positioned in the same way you were at your CT scan.
The radiation therapists will make adjustments to align the laser lines to the tattoos or marks that were put on at CT.
Please do not help the staff unless asked, as adjustments are quite small.
The couch moves in several directions.
You will see lasers and lights go on and off.
RTs will then check your positioning using computer readouts, this helps to verify that you are in the correct position.
The machine will move around you, but it will not touch you at any time.
It is important that once you are in the correct position to stay as still as possible.
The radiation therapists must leave the room to deliver the radiation treatment.
You will hear a buzz as they leave.
You will be monitored from outside the room with cameras and an intercom system.
Robotic arms come out from the machine.
These may come close to you but not touch you.
This produces images of inside your body and is used to verify that we are in the correct spot.
The machine will move around you and switch on from different angles.
You will not feel or see the radiation, but you will hear a buzzing sound from the machine.
Radiation beams come out of the head of the machine.
The beams are shaped according to your personalised radiation plan.
At the completion of your treatment, the staff will enter the room and move the treatment couch out from under the machine head.
They will then lower the couch and assist you to get off.
If you are experiencing any side effects or changes to your body, please inform your radiation therapists and they can organise a review by the nurse.
Following your final treatment, a follow-up appointment will be made for you to see your radiation oncologist.
Sometimes this will be done by a phone call.
These follow-up appointments will continue for several years.
You may be requested to have further tests or scans done.