Radiotherapy Treatment

You will be attending St. Luke's Hospital for radiotherapy treatment for a specific length of time decided by your Consultant Radiation Oncologist. Your treatment may be given in one day or given over a number of weeks. Radiotherapy is usually delivered five days a week, Monday to Friday; only emergencies are treated at the weekend and on bank holidays.

In St. Luke's Hospital, there are eleven treatment units, one simulator, two CT scanners, a mould room and a Planning Department. You will generally be booked into one particular treatment unit for the duration of your radiotherapy treatment.

Radiation Therapists are the professionals who are specially trained to deliver your radiotherapy treatment. You will meet them at the simulator or CT and also on a daily basis at your treatment unit.

Planning Your Treatment

On your first visit to St. Luke's Hospital, you will be asked to report to the Radiotherapy Reception Desk. This is situated within the Radiotherapy Department and is sign posted from the main reception.

Your Consultant Radiation Oncologist and his/her team will see you. Your radiotherapy treatment must be planned prior to its commencement, so on your first day you will usually visit the simulator or CT.

The simulator and CT are both machines that use x-ray imaging to help decide the exact area for treatment.

The Simulator or CT visit can take between ten and forty minutes to complete, (or longer in exceptional cases). The procedures are painless. X-rays and certain measurements required to plan your treatment will be taken. Marks will then be placed on the area of your body to be treated. The radiation therapists in the simulation or CT room will explain care of these marks.

Once all images have been taken in the Simulator or CT your Radiation Oncologist will work closely with specialist staff to design your individual treatment plan. Sometimes you will have to visit both the simulator and CT to help design your treatment plan. When the plan is completed your doctor will write a prescription that outlines the exact course of your radiation therapy treatment and this will then be given to the Radiation Therapists on your treatment unit. They must undertake a number of checks before your treatment can commence.

At the time of simulation or CT you will be given a date for the commencement of your radiation treatment. This date will normally be 3 or 4 weeks from your simulation/CT date but can be longer depending on the complexity of the case being treated. All patients are prioritised on a waiting list according to how quickly they need treatment.

Treatment

On your first day you will meet the Radiation Therapists on your treatment unit. They will give you a detailed explanation of what radiotherapy entails and possible side-effects of treatment. It is important that you follow the advice given by your Radiation Therapists, Doctors and Nurses to help minimise any possible side effects. This treatment is completely painless and you are in no way radioactive after it. It is similar to having a long x-ray. It takes several minutes for each patient to be positioned for treatment. The treatment itself only takes a few minutes. You will receive the same dose every day, even though the length of time you are on the bed may vary from day to day. You will be given an appointment card. Daily treatment appointment times will also be discussed with you, every effort is made to facilitate you as best we can with treatment times but it is not always possible to give you your preferred time.

Monitoring your treatment

You will be seen by a Doctor and / or Nurse every week to see how you are getting on with your treatment (for selected patients this can be every fortnight, depending on the case).

If you are an in-patient in the wards you will be seen at ward rounds. If you are an out-patient or a patient staying in the Lodge you will be seen at the radiotherapy clinics – this will be arranged for you.

If you are experiencing any problems or side-effects please tell your Doctor, Nurse and Radiation Therapists.

Radiotherapy Treatment-Frequently asked Questions

How does Radiotherapy work?
Radiotherapy is the use of high energy x-rays in carefully measured doses to damage and destroy cancer cells. Cancer cells multiply and divide much more quickly than normal cells and if they are hit by radiation whilst they are dividing they will be damaged and find it much more difficult to repair themselves. The x-rays also affect normal cells in the treatment area but they recover quickly. Every treatment is carefully planned so that healthy tissue is avoided as much as possible.

Will treatment hurt?
You will not feel anything during your treatment although you may hear the machine making noises, which is normal. The machine may come close to you but it will not touch you. 

Will I be radioactive?
Except for radio-iodine treatment of the thyroid gland where you will be an in-patient in the radio-iodine treatment suite, radiotherapy will not make you radioactive. In all cases where you are getting treatment on the treatment machines in the radiotherapy department once the machine is switched off after your treatment the radiation is switched off. The radiation does not stay in the body so you cannot harm anyone else. It is perfectly safe for you to mix with other people, including children, babies and pregnant women.

Pregnancy
If you are, or think that you may be pregnant please speak to your doctor before starting a course of radiotherapy.

Missing treatments
It is important to avoid missing any treatments unless your doctor gives permission. If you have any problems with appointment times please discuss them with a radiation therapist as soon as possible.

Smoking during Radiotherapy
We strongly advise you to give up smoking completely. If you smoke during the course of your radiotherapy, the radiation reaction for some areas of the body can be more severe. This in turn can make your recovery time much longer.

1. Do I have to stay in hospital whilst having radiotherapy?
   Most patients travel to and from the hospitals on a daily basis. If you are unable to travel regularly, for example due to living a long distance away from the hospital it may be more convenient for you to stay on one of our wards whilst you are having treatment. This can be discussed further and arranged with your doctor.

How long will treatment last?
A course of treatment can be anything from one treatment to a course lasting six or more weeks. If you have routine commitments which you wish us to work around it is important that you let a member of staff know as soon as possible prior to starting radiotherapy.

Daily treatments last between 10 and 30 minutes.

Do I see a doctor during my treatment?
During the course of your treatment you will usually be seen once a week or fortnight in the treatment review clinics. Doctors and nurses run these clinics to monitor how well you are coping with the treatment. This is also a good opportunity to ensure that you have the appropriate medications/advice to be able to manage any side effects that you may be experiencing.

Are there any side effects?
As with all treatments, radiotherapy can have some side effects. Your doctor will have decided whether or not to recommend a particular treatment by weighing up the benefits against the possible risk of any short or long-term side effects. Your doctor will discuss the possibility of these side effects with you and will answer any questions you may have. The radiation therapist on your treatment unit will discuss side effects and how to take care of yourself whilst on treatment with you again on your first day of treatment.

Will I still be able to drive?
Most patients carry on driving during treatment but if you feel unwell or tired, it is better to ask someone else to drive for you. If your consultant thinks it might be best for you not to drive, they will discuss this with you.  

What happens after I have finished my radiotherapy?
Some of the side effects of the radiotherapy may continue for several weeks after treatment. We will tell you about these and give you instructions on what to do.

You will be sent an appointment for follow-up in the post.

During and after your treatment you will have regular check ups. These checks, together with any necessary x-rays, scans or tests, help the doctor to see what effect the treatment has had and also to keep an eye on your progress.
Most patients continue to attend an outpatient clinic for several years.

What do I do if I have any questions or concerns?
If you or your family have any questions or concerns about your treatment please don't be afraid to speak to a member of the team. You may also find it useful to prepare a list of questions before hand, as it is always difficult to remember everything at the time.