Treatment is normally given from Monday to Friday. Most courses of treatment last from 2-6 weeks, although some may be shorter. Some protocols require radiotherapy to be given twice a day, once or twice a week, or as a single fraction. Before any course of radiotherapy starts, the area to be treated must be precisely worked out to ensure maximum effect to the tumour, but minimal effect to the surrounding tissues and structures. Each treatment plan is totally individualised.
Treatment is planned by the radiotherapist.
CT scanning, x-rays and other diagnostic procedures will be required by the radiotherapist to plan the fields of radiotherapy. Once the fields to be treated have been planned, the patient needs to attend the simulator . The simulator takes x-rays of the treatment fields planned by the radiotherapist to ensure the radiation will be delivered with absolute accuracy to the correct areas. Once the treatment plan has been finalised, marks are placed on the skin to indicate the treatment areas. Sometimes a small tattoo is placed on the skin to mark the radiation field.