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| The TrueBeam STx linear accelerator |
Your first visit to our radiation department is a time when you and your family members may sit down with your radiation oncologist to talk about:
- Your diagnosis.
- The role of radiation therapy in the treatment of your cancer.
- What you can expect during your radiation therapy appointments.
With the rare exception, this first visit will not involve an actual radiation treatment.
During your first visit, your doctor will evaluate your need for radiation therapy and your overall treatment plan goals. This includes reviewing your current medical problems, medical history, surgical history, family history, medications, allergies and lifestyle. The doctor will also do a physical exam to assess the extent of your disease and check your general physical condition. After reviewing your medical tests, including CT scans, MRI scans and PET scans, and doing a thorough examination, your doctor will talk with you about the potential benefits and risks of radiation therapy and take time to answer your questions.
Our staff will also help guide you in what types of records, films, reports or referrals you will need to make your first visit as informative and productive as possible.
Our goal is to provide you with expert opinions and recommendations during your consultation. Some things that will help us to do this are:
- Detailed records from other physicians regarding your diagnosis and the tests you've had performed.
- A detailed history of your past medical and surgical history.
- A complete list of your medications (including non-prescription medications) and any allergies you may have.
- When you arrive, you'll be asked to complete a patient history questionnaire.
To learn more, the American Society for Radiation Oncology has an excellent patient education page and video about understanding radiation treatment.
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