Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is the use of high energy x-rays to treat patients with cancer. The treatment may be radical with the aim of curing the disease, or it may be palliative to control the symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease. The treatment is delivered by machines called linear accelerators.

Each patient's radiotherapy treatment is tailor-made for them. No two treatments are the same.

All patients who are to receive radiotherapy have their treatment carefully planned first. Most patients have a CT scan which is used to outline the areas to be treated. Patients with head or neck cancer have a specially-constructed plastic shell, or mask, made for them to wear during each treatment for accuracy and to keep the head perfectly still.

Before the first treatment, each patient has a session on the simulator, which mimics the linear accelerator, to check the plan is right for that individual.

The number of treatments on the linear accelerator depends on each patient's condition. It can be anything from one to 37 treatments and each treatment can take anything from two to 60 minutes. Most of the time is taken in getting the patient in the right position for the treatment. The delivery of the x-ray itself is very quick.

No-one is allowed to be in the room while a patient is receiving radiotherapy, but the radiographers can see the patient all the time through CCTV so the patient is not left alone.

The Radiotherapy Department at University Hospital is a very busy unit, but staff try to offer patients appointments at around the same time of day to make it easier for them to organise their lives around the treatment.

Patients have daily contact with the radiographers who look after them while they are attending for treatment but, during the course of treatment, patients normally have the opportunity to see a nurse or a doctor about any other concerns or specific aspects of their care.