Radiation therapy

I was first introduced to radiation therapy by going to my mother’s cancer treatments. Her therapist was one of the most empathetic and compassionate people she received care from. The therapist telling me about her job and seeing it help my mom was the spark that ignited my passion to become a radiation therapist. Since my initial introduction to radiation therapy I have researched the profession, schools and been on several job shadows. I was an observer at several healthcare facilities…

breast cancer. She was passionate when she spoke of the care and concern demonstrated by the radiation therapists during her treatments. It was after her treatments that I decided that radiation therapy would be a great profession for me. I could help others going through difficult times while doing something that I thought I would be rewarding. Despite having a personal connection to radiation therapy, another experience during my first year of college has led me to another helping profession.…

Cancer has many forms of treatment, but the two that are known to most are chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs like cytotoxic and others, where as radiation therapy is the use of x-rays or other similar forms of radiation to cure cancer. Arguments can and more than likely always arise that one form of the two treatments is more beneficial and effective than the other. Considering this, the type of treatment that may be used can differ for each type of cancer,…

Medical Center will provide me with the comprehensive training necessary to fulfill my aspirations. I am particularly fascinated with the field of radiation oncology. Watching as the physicians at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) cared for and interacted with their patients and, subsequently, investigated novel methods to optimize radiation therapy solidified my interest in this specialty. To learn about the nuances…

specialist known as a radiation oncologist, a medical physicist, a radiation therapist and a medical dosimetrist. (American Society of Radiologic Technologists). A radiation oncologist determines many things for their patients. The field for Radiologic technologist is always growing and new openings are not rare. Radiation oncologist specialize in the administering of how much radiation a patient will get. Many of the times they have to work with other physicians. The field for radiation…

Reducing Patient-related barriers to pain management Intro Pain is one of the most common symptoms of cancer, and one of the most challenging subjects for health professionals including Radiation Therapists to address when treating patients. It is important to recognise that pain is ‘an intensely personal experience with biological, psychological and social components’, which is entirely subjective to the person who experiences it. Despite the development of “novel analgesics and updated pain…

throughout the body by using the bloodstream and lymphs. Most cancer patients are primarily treated for breast cancer with surgery by carrying out simple or modified mastectomy or modified radical mastectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy plus hormonal therapy depending on the case (Khan, Bahadur, Agarwal, Sehgal, & Das, 2010). Some cancer patients also receive the treatment of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Surgery,…

Adjuvant breast radiation therapy is a fundamental component that substantially reduces the risk of local recurrences in both noninvasive and invasive breast cancer, along with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Overall survival rates improve when given after breast conservation surgery. Historically, the typical breast radiation regime is whole breast irradiation (WBI), which is delivered over 5 to 6 weeks. Unfortunately excessive radiation exposure to healthy tissue can produce side effects…

There are a multitude of treatment options to treat neuroblastoma. The most commonly known treatments are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, but there are many more including retinoid therapy, immunotherapy, and clinical trials. The type of treatment chosen is often times specific to the child and their circumstances. Most patients undergo a series or combination of treatments in hopes of destroying the cancer. Surgery is usually the first treatment for a neuroblastoma patient. Surgery can be…

I have had radiation and that I cannot have blood drawn. These marks also let the hospital know that if I was ever to get diagnosed again, they would not…