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What is External Radiation Therapy?

Houston Precision Cancer Center offers the most advanced level of radiation therapy using localized high-energy rays to combat cancer cells and eradicate visible tumors; preventing them from growing and dividing; while minimizing side affects.

 

External Radiation Therapy is a medical treatment using a sophisticated machine called a Linear Accelerator to direct beams of high energy X-rays at the tumor. The machine can change positions so that the beams may enter your body from any angle. By changing the angle of the beams we are able to match the shape of your tumor and spare as many healthy cells as possible.

 

 How is Radiation Therapy Used? 

• By itself, as a standalone treatment

• Before surgery to shrink the tumor

• After surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells

• With chemotherapy which makes the cancer cells more sensitive to Radiation treatment

• After chemotherapy to kill remaining cancer cells

• To control symptoms such as pain or bleeding

 

What to Expect

Radiation Therapy does not hurt! You will not feel the radiation treatments, and you will not be radioactive.

 

You first visit with Dr. Yu is called your consultation visit where he will review all of your records and pathology reports and give you a physical exam.The first step is helping you, as a patient, understand your diagnosis and the treatments available to you. During this first visit Dr. Yu will go over information about your type of cancer, the radiation treatment choices, and any possible side effects. He will also review your treatment plan including:

 

• Why the treatment plan is best for you

• What it can and cannot do

• The type and amount of radiation therapy you will receive

• How the treatment is done

• What the side effects of the treatment might be

 

Once you review and understand your treatment plan, you will be asked to sign a consent form before your first treatment.

 

Your Support Team

Your treatment team will be a partner in your care. Your radiation oncology treatment team is made up of many different healthcare professionals. Each has special training and experience in treating your type of cancer with radiation therapy. Your treatment team will work with you to be sure you get the most effective radiation treatment possible. They will get to know you well and you will get to know them. You will find that they are interested in you as a whole person and not just in your disease.

 

The Team:

• Radiation Oncologist: Doctor who specializes in using radiation to treat cancer.

• Radiation Therapist: A licensed therapist with specialty training in the fields of radiation physics, biology, radiation safety and computer-aided biophysics. The therapist sets up your daily radiation treatment, positions you and delivers the prescribed dose of radiation.

• Radiation Physicist: Helps plan the technical part of your treatment. Your radiation physicists decides the best shape and angles for the treatment beams. They make sure the equipment works as planned and delivers the right amount of radiation.

• Dosimetrist: is a specialist who calculates and plans the doses of radiation therapy.

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You can reach us at 713-722-9660