Does a radiation oncology perform radiotherapy?

The radiation oncologist decides whether treatment fits your diagnosis and goals, prescribes the treatment, and supervises your care. Radiation therapists or radiographers position you and operate the equipment. Medical physicists and dosimetrists support accurate planning and safety checks.

Radiotherapy uses focused ionising radiation to damage cancer cells in a chosen area. It may be used to destroy a tumour, lower the chance of cancer returning in a treated area, slow local growth, or ease symptoms. The purpose depends on the cancer type, its location, previous treatment, and your overall health.

Most external-beam treatment is delivered by a machine outside the body. Some treatment instead places a radiation source inside or close to the target, and some uses radioactive medicine. The team will name the approach proposed for you and explain any precautions relevant to it.

Share your full medicine list, allergies, implanted devices, earlier radiotherapy, and any possibility of pregnancy before planning. A planning appointment may include imaging, small skin marks, or a positioning device so the same area can be aligned at each visit.

Use only the creams or dressings approved by your treatment team on the treated skin. Follow any instructions about eating, drinking, or bladder filling because these can affect positioning. If travel, mobility, or anxiety may make attendance difficult, tell the service early so practical support can be discussed.

Call your treatment team promptly for fever, repeated vomiting, inability to drink, worsening shortness of breath, uncontrolled pain, or skin that is blistered, broken, or leaking fluid in the treatment area. Use the centre's after-hours number when the department is closed.

Go to emergency care for severe trouble breathing, chest pain, a seizure, sudden confusion, fainting, or new weakness. Do not wait for the next radiotherapy appointment when a symptom is rapidly worsening.

Clarify the goal of your treatment, which body area will receive radiation, and what other options are reasonable. Ask about likely short-term and later effects, how to care for the treated area, whether precautions apply around other people, how missed appointments are handled, and which clinician will review your progress.