Your Treatment Plan

Your next scheduled appointment is typically for a CT simulation to help develop your treatment plan.

During the CT simulation, the radiation oncologist works with a radiation therapist and a dosimetrist to obtain a 3-D view of the area to be treated and precisely identify the cancer target. Using the data from the CT simulation, the radiation oncologist works in conjunction with a physicist and a dosimetrist to devise a 3-D treatment or IMRT plan that delivers the maximum dose to the cancer target while sparing the surrounding normal tissue.

Things to know about your simulation and treatment planning appointment:

• Simulations are scheduled for one hour but may take more or less time depending on the complexity of the treatment setup.
• You may be asked to drink a liquid contrast prior to the scan or be given an intravenous (IV) contrast during the scan. The contrast will aid the radiation oncologist in pinpointing the target on your scan.
• The areas to receive radiation may be marked with a semi-permanent magic marker and should not be washed away until you are instructed to do so. You may also be marked by permanent tattoos the size of a small mole for set up purposes.

Once your plan is approved by your radiation oncologist, you will be contacted within 7-10 business days to return for the second planning session. Treatment will begin within days of the second planning session.