Your First Radiation Treatment: What To Expect

When you arrive for your first treatment, you’ll meet with your primary nurse for a pretreatment teaching session. You’ll learn these and other specifics of your treatment:

• Number of treatments
• Treatment field (area)
• Daily dose
• Clinical setup

Your nurse also will review the common side effects specific to your treatment and how best to manage them. The nurse will answer any questions you have. A member of your care team will show you where to change into a hospital gown, if necessary.

One of the radiation therapists will escort you to the treatment room, which may be chilly. The radiation therapist will position your body on the treatment table. Treatment may include using customized lead blocks. The radiation oncologist places these blocks in the treatment machine and will not touch you.

During treatment, the therapists can see you on closed-circuit television and can hear you through an intercom system. You will not see or feel anything as you receive treatment, but you will hear the machine running. It is important to follow the therapist’s instructions to ensure safe and complete treatment. When the radiation therapist turns off the treatment machine, there is no residual radiation in the room. You are not radioactive.

During the course of your treatment, a radiologist periodically takes X-rays (portal films) to verify that you are in the correct treatment position. Your care team doesn’t use them to evaluate your response to treatment. The radiation therapists, radiation oncologists and the quality assurance team check these X-rays.

After your first treatment, the therapist sets up a time schedule with you for the rest of your treatments. Generally, your appointments take place at the same time each day throughout the course of treatment unless circumstances require a change. 

Where does the radiation come from?

Accelerated electrons create the radiation. It comes out of the head of the gantry on the linear accelerator.

Will I feel or see the radiation?

Just as with a routine X-ray, you won’t have any sensation with the radiation. You cannot see, feel, taste, smell or touch the radiation.

Will anything touch me during treatment?

You will not feel anything as you are being treated, but you will hear the machine running.

Am I radioactive?

No, you are not radioactive after treatment. You won’t be a danger to anyone during or after your course of radiation therapy.

Can I show my friends and family the treatment room?

Yes, our therapists are happy to show anyone accompanying you the treatment console and room.

Why do you take X-rays?

The therapists take X-rays to double check your body’s position on the treatment table. We look at your bones in reference to the images that were taken during your initial simulation.

Can you see my tumor?

The type of X-ray we use isn't the same as the X-rays used to see soft tissue. Therefore, we cannot see your tumor when we take our X-rays.