Radiation first appointment

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Fitmom04
Fitmom04 Member Posts: 74
edited September 2022 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

I got the call today for my appointment with the Radiation Oncology. The receptionist said she is waiting to hear if I need an appointment with Medical Oncology. What should I expect at my first appointment?

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  • Maggie15
    Maggie15 Member Posts: 55
    edited September 2022

    The first radiation appointment is a planning or "simulation" appointment. They position you, sometimes with cushioned wedges, and usually on your back with your arms over your head (there are variations on this depending on where the tumor was.) They do CT scans so that the RO can decide how to angle the radiation beams. Sometimes they put tiny pinprick tatoos on your body or marks with permanent marker (which comes off eventually when radiation is done) to help your radiation team get you in the correct position for treatment each time. I don't know if it is standard practice but they took an ID photo of me that the radiation team checked at each appointment and provided a bar-coded card which would let me enter the treatment area where the linear accelerators were.

    They are waiting to hear from your MO since chemo is usually done before radiation. All the best with your treatment!

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  • Quietgirl
    Quietgirl Member Posts: 108
    edited September 2022

    if you haven’t seen the RO before at all, it might not be a simulation appointment but rather more of a regular office visit. So you would go over possible side effects, tons of information and probably sign consent forms, get information about how many sessions they expect you to have etc. So if you need to see an MO as well then they are probably trying to have you do the two consults on the same day. So really it’s a lot of listening. You might also meet with the ROs nurse and they may talk to you about what types of creams or lotions they recommend and different tips for self care.

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