Radiation Therapy
Radiation Therapy - Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
| Peter Mac is home to Australia's largest specialist radiation therapy centre. We offer a world class radiation therapy service and invest in the latest training and equipment to deliver the best available treatment to our patients | ||
| ||
| Our commitment to patients and their families >> | ||
| What is radiation therapy? >> | ||
| Planning your radiation therapy treatment >> | ||
| How long does radiation therapy take? >> | ||
| Where can I have radiation therapy treatment? >> | ||
| Your radiotherapy team >> | ||
| Is radiation therapy painful? >> | ||
| Are there any side effects of radiation therapy? >> | ||
| Your first treatment appointment >> | ||
| Radiation therapy for children >> | ||
| Research & clinical trials >> | ||
| Radiation therapy for children >> | ||
| Feedback & contacts >> | ||
| Our commitment to our patients and their families | ||
| Our highly trained and professional staff are committed to providing our patients with the best radiation therapy available and we work closely together to assist you in managing your treatment schedule and reducing stress, anxiety and inconvenience. Our staff are committed to the following values: • importance of patient and family care • excellence in technical and quality standards • teamwork with other health professionals is vital to ensure that care before, during and after radiotherapy treatment is of the highest standard. | ||
| What is radiation therapy? | ||
| Radiation therapy is the use of radiation (x-rays) to treat a range of diseases including cancer. It is prescribed by your specialist, a radiation oncologist, as part of your treatment program. Radiation therapy may be given on its own, or it might be give with other forms of treatment such as chemotherapy or surgery. Radiation therapy is designed to destroy cancer cells while reducing the impact of radiation to healthy cells. This ensures you can recover more quickly from any radiation side effects. Radiation therapy is a localised treatment, which means that it is a treatment that in general affects only the part of your body that is receiving treatment. Your radiation oncologist will discuss your treatment with you and provide information about any possible side effects. | ||
| Planning your radiation therapy treatment | ||
| The radiation therapy process involves a planning phase which determines the best manner in which to deliver the radiation treatment. Planning involves a small number of visits to Peter Mac to enable the treatment plan to be developed. For more detailed information regarding the treatment and planning process as well as support services available, please download the booklet "A Patient's Guide to Radiation Therapy at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre”. | ||
| How long does radiation therapy take? | ||
| Each patient's radiotherapy treatment plan will be different and you may need anywhere from one to over thirty treatments, depending on what type of cancer you have. Your radiation oncologist will explain the number of treatments you require. Each treatment only takes a few minutes, but you may be lying on the radiotherapy table for up to 30 minutes to ensure you are in the correct position to receive your radiation therapy. | ||
| Where can I have radiation therapy treatment? | ||
| Peter Mac offers radiation therapy at five sites across Melbourne and Victoria: our main site is at East Melbourne and we have satellite sites at Bendigo, Box Hill and Moorabbin. We also operate a private patient service in conjunction with the Tattersalls Cancer Centre at the Epworth Hospital, Richmond. Peter Mac will also operate a new radiation therapy service at Sunshine currently under construction and due to be operational in 2011. For more information please visit Peter Mac's Locations. | ||
| Your radiation therapy team | ||
| Your radiation therapy team will be led by a radiation oncologist and include radiation therapists and radiotherapy nurses. Radiation therapists are highly trained and skilled health professionals who work with your radiation oncologist to coordinate and design your treatment plan and deliver your treatment. A radiotherapy nurse is a specialist cancer nurse with specific skills and knowledge in caring for people having radiation therapy. For information about the Radiation Therapy Services department please go to Radiation Therapy Staff. | ||
| Is radiation therapy painful? | ||
| Radiation therapy is painless - much like having an x-ray. You will not feel anything but you may hear the machine operating. Please feel free to bring along any CDs you would like to play during your treatment. | ||
| Are there any side effects of radiation therapy? | ||
| Radiation therapy does not make you radioactive and it is safe for you to be with other people. There may be some side effects of radiation therapy and they vary from patient to patient, and the type of radiation therapy you are receiving. Your radiation oncologist will provide you with a side effect information sheet and answer any questions you might have. You will have regular appointments with your radiation oncologist to review how you are progressing through your treatment. This is a good opportunity to raise any concerns you have about side effects. You can also call our radiation therapy nurses at any time, Monday to Saturday on | ||
| Your first treatment appointment | ||
| When you arrive for your first radiation therapy treatment appointment, please report to the reception desk to let them know you have arrived. You will be shown to the waiting area. Your treatment staff will collect you from the waiting area when they are ready for you. You will need to change into a gown for your treatment which will be given to you by Peter Mac staff. Change rooms are available and you will be shown where to collect and store your gown for each visit. A basket will be provided for you to keep your personal items with you. For more information, please see the booklet A Patient's Guide to Radiation Therapy. | ||
| Research & clinical trials | ||
| The Radiation Therapy Services department encourages and supports research and participation in clinical trials. For more information on clinical trials at Peter Mac, please see participating in clinical trials. | ||
| Feedback & contacts | ||
| For feedback or help with any information contained on this page, contact:Radiotherapy Education and Development Unit. |
