SHORT VERSION
Radiation therapy includes four main steps:
- delineation of the area to be treated by imaging: this allows targeting the radiation beams specifically to the tumor area;
- calculation of the dose to be delivered and in how many sessions (dosimetry);
- treatment delivery;
- follow-up during and after the treatment.
The radiation therapy process is based on the work of a multidisciplinary team supervised by a radiation oncologist. This team also includes a radiation oncologist, a medical physicist, and a dosimetrist. Together, they will determine the main following parameters of the treatment:
- total radiation dose
- treatment duration
- dose fractionation (i.e. the amount irradiation delivered at each session)
- volume to be irradiated
External radiation therapy involves four main steps:
- delineation of the area to be treated
- calculation of the dose to be delivered and in how many sessions (dosimetry)*.
- treatment delivery (radiotherapy sessions)
- follow-up during and after treatment.
