External radiotherapy

A physical exam will be done to check the general state of your health. You may need to have some X-rays, scans and blood tests done as well.

You will have a CT scan is to pinpoint the area to be treated (treatment field) and decide on the position you will be in when you have your radiotherapy treatment. 

It’s important that your position is comfortable, as you will need to stay in the same position every time you have radiotherapy. Tell the radiation therapist if you are not comfortable so they can help you and organise any pain medication or oxygen support that will allow you to lie in a comfortable position during treatment.

You will lie still on a flat surface. Laser lights will be used to make sure you’re lying in a straight position on the bed. After the scan, the radiation therapist may mark your skin so that the machine can be lined up using these marks as a guide when you are having your treatment. CT planning can last for up to 30 minutes.

You need to stay as still as possible during the planning and treatment sessions. Every effort will be made to make you as comfortable as possible. 

Foam pads, special vacuum bags and immobilisation devices may be used to help you stay in the treatment position. Sometimes the mould room technician or radiation therapist can make special devices or supports for you. For example, a body mould, mask or mouth bite. 

Read more about immobilisation devices.

The radiation therapist will mark the treatment field with one or more dots of semi-permanent ink or with tiny tattoo dots to make sure that you are in the same position each time for treatment.

The semi-permanent ink marks will fade away over time, but they’re needed until your treatment is finished, so don’t use soap or scrub these marks.

The tattoos are permanent, so you may need to sign a consent form before you have them. The dots are very tiny, though, and not very obvious. They can be removed later with a laser.

Radiation can harm a growing baby. You will have a
pregnancy test before treatment if there’s any chance you could be pregnant.

The radiation therapists will explain if there are any extra instructions for your particular treatment. For example, if you need to drink water or clear your bowels before treatment, if you need to hold your breath during treatment or if you need to fast (not eat for a time) before treatment.

The radiation therapists will help you onto the treatment table and will adjust both the table and the machine to the exact positions needed. You will be put in the same position as for your CT planning scan. Because you need to keep still during treatment, they will make you as comfortable as possible.

The radiation therapist will leave the room to set up the machine. The lights will be turned down and laser lights will be used to line up the beam with the marks on your skin that show where the radiation will be aimed. 

The radiation machines are operated from outside the room in the control area. The radiation therapists will be watching you on a closed-circuit television. They can hear and see you and can talk to you through an intercom. If you need them, just tell them. They can stop the machine and come in to you. If you’re wearing a mask, just wave your hand.

You need to stay as still as possible during the treatment so that radiation only reaches the treatment areas and so that the same area is treated each time. Relax as much as you can and just breathe normally.

You may feel anxious about the machines. They are large and most of them make a buzzing noise as they move around your body aiming at the treatment area from different angles. To help you relax, some treatment rooms have music.

The machine will not touch you. Some people worry that they will be completely enclosed by the machine, but this does not happen.