Is stereotactic body radiotherapy done with a linear accelerator?

Stereotactic body radiotherapy, also called SBRT or SABR, gives a focused radiation dose to a defined area outside the brain. A linear accelerator produces high-energy radiation and can move around the treatment table. The team uses scans to map the target, plans beam angles, and shapes the beams to limit exposure to nearby organs. Image guidance helps the team check positioning before and during treatment. The treatment may be arranged as one visit or a short course, depending on the target, its size, movement, and your overall plan.

A linear accelerator is a treatment platform, while SBRT is a way of planning and delivering radiation. The machine alone does not determine whether SBRT is appropriate. Your radiation oncology team considers the location, breathing movement, previous treatment, and the distance from sensitive structures.

Ask which linear accelerator system would be used and how imaging will guide each session. Tell the team about implanted devices, previous radiation, difficulty lying flat, and medicines you take. If the target moves with breathing, ask whether breath-holding, tracking, or another motion-management method is planned. You may also want to know how many visits are expected, what preparation is needed, and when normal activities can resume.

Read the treatment instructions carefully. Attend planning scans and follow guidance about eating, drinking, or taking medicines. The radiation team can explain what you may feel during positioning and which symptoms should be reported.

Contact your oncology team promptly if you develop worsening pain, new weakness, trouble breathing, repeated vomiting, confusion, or a fever after treatment. Seek urgent medical help for severe breathing difficulty, sudden neurological changes, fainting, or heavy bleeding. The right response depends on the treated body area, so ask for a treatment-specific contact number before your first session.

Which body area will be treated, and how will nearby organs be protected? What imaging and motion control will be used? How will you judge whether the plan is accurate? What short-term effects should I report, and who should I call outside clinic hours?