Understanding Your Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to damage or destroy cancer cells. The goal of radiation therapy is to kill cancer cells with as little exposure as possible to surrounding healthy cells.

Radiation therapy can be used to treat different types of cancer, either alone, concurrently with chemotherapy, or before/after surgery.

Radiation may also be given once cancer has spread to the bone to help relieve pain.

Linear Accelerator

The radiation treatment machine is called a Linear Accelerator. It treats cancer patients with high-energy radiation, which you cannot see or feel.

Radiation treatments are not painful, but it is very important not to move while on the treatment table to ensure accuracy. The linear accelerator has the capability to take X-rays and use a CT for alignment purposes. These are not diagnostic images. They are used for alignment purposes only.

Treatment Marks on Skin

Treatment marks will be covered by clear stickers on your skin. These marks are important for treatment precision. Please be careful with these marks and keep them in place. While bathing please do not scrub at the stickers and we ask that you pat the stickers dry with a towel when drying off. When using lotions please be careful not to use too much around the stickers because this may cause the stickers to come off. Your radiation therapist will be checking stickers daily to ensure they remain intact and will replace them as needed.