HOW YOU CAN HELP

When you arrive for your first visit, the receptionist and a billing representative will meet with you briefly.

The radiation oncology nurse and nurse practitioner will also visit with you, ask you some health-related questions and take your vital signs.

Your radiation oncologist will review all of your medical information and conduct a physical exam. Following this exam, he or she will visit with you and any family members or friends you wish to include in the discussion. The doctor will discuss your diagnosis and possible treatments that may be helpful to you. He or she will also discuss potential side effects and the number of treatments appropriate for you.

Before your treatment is given, you may need to change into a hospital gown or robe. It is best to wear clothing that is easy to take off and put on again. In the treatment room, the radiation therapist will use the marks (tattoos put on your skin at a prior visit during simulation) to locate the treatment area. You will lie on a treatment table. For each external radiation therapy session, you will be in the treatment room about 15 minutes, but you will be getting your dose of radiation for only about one to four minutes of that time. Receiving external radiation treatments is painless, just like having an x-ray taken. There may be plastic or styrofoam forms to help you stay in exactly the right place. You will need to remain very still during the treatment so that the radiation reaches only the area where it is needed and the same area is reached each time. You don’t have to hold your breath – just breathe normally.

The radiation therapist is in the room the majority of the time, stepping out only during the actual treatment. The machine is controlled from an area nearby. You will be watched on a television screen and you can be heard through an intercom system. The machines used for radiation treatments are very large, and they make noises as they move around to aim at the treatment area from different angles. The machines are checked constantly to make sure they are working correctly. If you are concerned about anything that happens in the treatment room, ask your therapist to explain.

External radiation therapy does not cause your body to become radioactive. There is no need to avoid being with other people because of your treatment. Side effects of radiation therapy most often are related to the area that is being treated. You should contact your doctor or nurse if you have any unusual symptoms during your treatment, such as coughing, sweating, fever, or unusual pain. Most side effects that occur during radiation therapy are not serious and can be controlled with medication or diet. They usually go away within a few weeks after treatment ends. However, some side effects can last longer. Throughout your treatment, your radiation oncologist will regularly check on the effects of the treatment. You may not be aware of changes in the cancer, but you probably will notice decreases in pain, bleeding, or other discomforts you may have had, especially after your treatment is completed. You may continue to notice more improvements with time. Your doctor probably will recommend some tests to be sure that the radiation is causing as little damage to normal cells as possible. You may have routine blood tests to check the levels of white blood cells and platelets, which may be lower than normal during treatment.

Each patient’s body responds to radiation therapy in its own way. That’s why the doctor must plan, and sometimes adjust, your treatment just for you. In addition, your doctor or nurse will give you advice for caring for yourself at home that is specific for your treatment and the side effects that might results.

Some guidelines:

• Be sure to get plenty of rest. Sleep as often as you feel the need. Your body will use a lot of extra energy over the course of your treatment, and you may feel very tired. Fatigue may last for four to six weeks after your treatment is finished.

• Good nutrition is a must. Try to eat a balanced diet that will prevent weight loss. Avoid wearing tight clothes such as girdles or close-fitting collars over the treatment area.

• Be extra kind to the skin in the treatment area. Do not use any soaps, lotions, deodorants, medicines, perfumes, cosmetics, talcum powder or other substances in the treated area without talking with your doctor.

• Wear loose, soft cotton clothing over the treated area.

Do not starch your clothes
Do not rub or scrub treated skin.

• Do not use adhesive tape on treated skin. If bandaging is necessary, use paper tape.

• Do not apply heat or cold (heating pad, ice pack, etc.) to the treatment area.

• Protect the area from the sun.

• Be sure your doctor knows about any medicines you are taking before starting treatment.

If you have any questions about your treatment, ask your doctor, nurse or radiation therapist.

The side effects of radiation treatments vary greatly from patient to patient. You may have no side effects or only a few mild ones through your course of treatment, or you may have more serious side effects. The side effects you have depend mostly on the treatment dose and the part of your body that is treated. Your general health also can affect how your body reacts to radiation therapy and whether you have side effects. Before beginning your treatment, ask your doctor and nurse about the side effects you might experience, how long they might last, and how serious they might be.

Be sure to tell your doctor, nurse or radiation therapist about any side effects that you notice. They can help you treat the problems and tell you how to lessen the chances that the side effects will come back.

Sometimes radiation therapy can cause low white blood cell counts or low levels of platelets. These blood cells help your body fight infection and prevent bleeding. Your blood may be tested frequently to monitor the levels of these two components. If your blood tests show this side effect, your treatment might be delayed for about a week to allow your blood counts to increase.

Nearly all patients who receive treatment for cancer feel some degree of emotional upset. It is not unusual to feel depressed, angry, afraid, frustrated, alone or helpless. Radiation therapy may affect the emotions indirectly through fatigue or changes in hormone balance, but the treatment itself is not a direct cause of mental distress.

Many patients find it helpful to talk about their feelings with a close friend, family member, chaplain, nurse, social worker or psychologist. Support groups are also a great help – see our list of support groups and meeting schedules.

Once your course of radiation therapy is finished, it is important to have regular exams to check the results of your treatment. No matter what type of cancer you have had, you will need regular checkups and perhaps lab tests and x-rays. The radiation oncologist will want to see you at least once after your treatment ends. The doctor who referred you for radiation therapy will schedule follow up visits as needed. Follow up care, in addition to checking the results of your treatment, might also include more cancer treatment, rehabilitation and counseling. Taking good care of yourself is also a part of following through after radiation treatments.

Some patients need help to manage pain if it continues after radiation therapy. You should not use a heating pad or warm compress to relieve pain in any area treated with radiation. Mild pain medicine may be enough for some people. If you have severe pain, ask the doctor about prescription drugs or other methods of relief. Be as specific as possible when telling the doctor about your pain so you can get the best treatment for it. If you are unable to get relief from pain, you may want to talk with a doctor who is a pain specialist.

Questions and Answers About Pain Control is a booklet that may help you understand more about cancer pain. It is available free of charge by calling 1-800-4-cancer.

 After treatment for cancer, you are likely to be more aware of your body and to notice even slight changes in how you feel from day to day. The doctor will want you to report any unusual symptoms. If you have any of these problems, tell your doctor at once:

• A pain that does not go away, especially if it is always in the same place

• Lumps, bumps, or swelling

• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of appetite

• Unexplained weight loss

• A fever or cough that does not go away

• Unusual rashes, bruises or bleeding

• Any other signs mentioned by your doctor or nurse

Weekly check films are to check patient position; the doctor checks the film before the next treatment. These films are not diagnostic, meaning they do not show your treatment progress.