A radiation therapist is part of a radiation oncology team that treats cancer. Radiation therapists use linear accelerators, which are machines that give radiation treatment to patients. These machines projectx rays at targeted cancer cells. When the x rays touch human tissue, they create energized ions that shrink and eliminate cancerous tumors.

There are several steps that a radiation therapist will go through in the radiation therapy process. First, the radiation therapist will use an x ray or CT scan to find the exact location of the tumor. Once the tumor is located and scanned, the radiation therapist will discuss the treatment plan with the rest of her/his team. Then the radiation therapist must talk with the patient about the plan and ensure that the patient understands and is comfortable with the plan. Next, the radiation therapist will adjust the linear accelerator so that it is pointed at the tumor cells. The radiation therapist will then administer the dose of radiation from a radiation protected room. One session of radiation treatment will normally take less than half an hour, and it will need to be repeated roughly five days a week for two to nine weeks. The radiation therapist keeps detailed records of the patient’s treatments, and is responsible for monitoring the patient throughout the treatment to make sure the plan is working and not producing dangerous side effects. A radiation therapist is in close contact with the patient throughout the course of treatment, and is often called upon to provide emotional support.

A radiation therapist will usually work in hospitals or in cancer treatment centers. A radiation therapist will normally do a lot of lifting and will spend much of their time on their feet. Often, a radiation therapist will work 40 hours per week. Radiation therapists usually work during the day, with little night work except in the case of an emergency.

To become a radiation therapist, one needs to complete an associate or bachelor’s degree in radiation therapy. It is also possible to obtain an associate or bachelor’s degree in radiography, then get a certificate in radiation therapy afterwards. Often, a radiation therapist who wants to be in a managerial position will need to complete a bachelor’s degree.

Learn about hiring a radiation therapist, or find a job as a radiation therapist.

Source:

1. December 18, 2007.  Radiation Therapists.  U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos299.htm

Properly positioning the patient before administering a dose of radiation is extremely important because radiation therapists are trying to precisely target a malignancy and not the nearly healthy tissue. Some areas of the body are easy to keep still and target accurately, but areas like the lungs, cannot remain still for the duration of a radiation treatment, which has presented radiation therapists with quite a challenge.

A technique called respiratory gating has been used by radiation therapists with some success. When this technique began the patient would tell the radiation therapist when they got to a certain point in their breathing cycle. The radiation therapist would then try to administer the dose at the same time each breath. This method obviously would have a fair about of user error and be quite difficult for a radiation therapist to perfect.

In recent years respiratory gating has become a much better process and much easier for radiation therapists to administer. It is now a more automatic process. There are sensors that emit radiation that are put on the patient that send signals to a computer showing the exact breathing pattern. This lets the radiation therapist do their work from the computer which is showing them the breathing pattern instead of the radiation therapist being told the pattern by the patient.

Another advancement that has been made to radiation therapy is the use of GPS to track patient movement.  Dr. Sandler explained its use very well, stating, “Much like a GPS helps a driver determine where he is and where he is going, the Calypso’s wireless waves tell me exactly where the the prostate is and exactly how I should move the patient.” This technology has only been used for prostate cancer so far, although it is believed that it could be successfully used for other cancer types as well.

Learn about hiring a radiation therapist.

Source:

1. McGraw, Mark (2007, October 15) “Something out of Star Wars” Today’s Radiation Therapy. Advance for Imaging and Radiation Therapy Professionals, 16-20   

CT technologists have a new tool they can use to reduce radiation exposure to their patients and to themselves. Positioning children and infants has always been difficult for CT technologists. The children are scared and confused and do not understand why they must stay still. Even if a CT technologist managed to position a child, the child would often move after the CT technologist left the room to take the image.  This meant that a CT technologist would need to hold the child still while the image was being taken, and in the process receive a totally unnecessary dose of radiation.

Now there is a new option, and it is called the universal octopaque. It is basically a padded board that a CT technologist can gently strap a child to. The child is first wrapped with a blanket for comfort, and then strapped down. The child’s head is restrained too, with big pads on each side of the head.  Using this device, the child can be safely restrained so that a good image may be taken on the first try, instead of having to repeat the image and increase the radiation dose to the child. Also, this allows the CT technologist to be safely away from the imaging process.

The universal octopaque also allows for a CT technologist to take images from angles that would have been difficult to achieve while just holding a child.

This device is useful in several other modalities as well, allowing MRI technologists, nuclear medicine technologists, and radiation therapists to remain safe while performing pediatric imaging. 

Learn about hiring a CT technologist.

Source:

1. Femia, John (2006, October 6) Keeping Kids Still, and RTs Safe from Radiation. Advance for Imaging and Radiation Thereapy Professionals, 6

Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation to destroy cancer cells and to shrink tumors. Normal cells are killed during radiation therapy too, but they are usually able to recover fully. Radiation therapy can consist of different types, which can treat a variety of areas small, large, deep, or shallow. Radiation therapy is very common, and on average half of cancer patients are treated with ionizing radiation.

Radiation therapy can be internal, external, or systemic. External is the simplest type, given using a machine outside the body. Often with external radiation therapy the patient does not need to stay in the hospital any longer than the time the treatment takes. External radiation therapy does not make the patient radioactive, so they do not need to worry about staying away from others. Internal radiation therapy is inserted in the body near the tumor in a certain dose that dissolves. Internal radiation therapy will make patients radioactive near the area where the ionizing radiation was implanted. Because the patient will be radioactive for a short time they are sometimes kept in the hospital and during that time those visiting need to take precautions. Systemic radiation therapy is given by mouth or injection. This type of radiation therapy also make the patient slight radioactive, so precautions are sometimes necessary.

There is a team required to take care of just one patient. The oncologist comes up with the treatment plan. The dosimetrist is trained to figure out the correct dose. The radiation physicist makes sure the machines that are used for external radiation therapy are working correctly and that the right amount of radiation is being delivered. Finally, the radiation therapist is the person who actually gives the radiation treatment.

Learn more about hiring a radiation therapist.

Source:

1. National Cancer Institute (2004, August 25) Radiation Therapy for Cancer: Questions and answers. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/therapy/radiation