Since radiation can affect normal tissue, care is taken to assure little damage to tissue uninvolved with cancer. The medical physicist and dosimetrist assist the radiation oncologist in treatment planning, which generally does not require the actual presence of the patient. Radiation treatment will then be delivered by the radiation therapist, individuals specifically trained in the delivery of radiation and licensed by the state. The treatment itself lasts only a few moments. The appointment given to a patient lasts longer to assure precise positioning and delivery of the radiation beam.
Treatment planning can take several hours.
Treatment is delivered daily, Monday through Friday. Should severe side effects occur, interruptions may prolong treatment from the typical five to seven weeks. The patient is continuously monitored during radiation by the radiation oncologist and the radiation nurse for both response and side effects. Typical side effects of radiation are mild, and are related to which normal tissue is contained within the radiation field and the radiation dose, as well as the individual. Other therapy can also affect the normal tissue response to radiation.