Radiation Therapy: What to Expect

Peer Review Status: Internally Reviewed by Cancer Center Staff
Creation Date: October 2002
Last Review Date: September 2003Last Review Date: September 2003

Table of Contents

This program has been developed to help patients/families, about to undergo radiation therapy, to learn what to expect before and during radiation.

Introduction

• What is radiation therapy?
• How does radiation therapy work?
• What are the types of radiation therapy?
• Why is radiation given?

Who is on the radiation health care team?

First Visit

Simulation

Treatment Planning

What to expect from radiation treatments

Side effects

• Effects on the Skin
• Cranial (Brain) Radiation
• Head and Neck Radiation
• What can be done about the side effects?
• Chest Radiation
• Breast Radiation
• Upper Abdomen (Stomach) Radiation
• Radiation to the Pelvis

When to call your doctor

If you have questions that are not covered in this presentation, contact the Cancer Information Service at: cancer-information@uiowa.edu.

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