Weiss Memorial Hospital’s highly trained radiation oncology department provides a warm and caring environment for patients needing radiation therapy. Our experienced staff includes nurses and physicians whose top priority is listening and meeting your needs.
Our department provides radiation treatment for most common cancers, including lung, breast, prostate, brain, gastrointestinal tract and skin. Patients diagnosed with malignancies or who have other benign conditions may be referred to Weiss’ radiation oncology department for radiation therapy.
Our Team
Weiss’ radiation oncology medical team consists of a board-certified radiation oncologist physician, two ARRT certified radiation therapists, one radiation oncology nurse, medical physicist and a department secretary. Our staff is friendly, knowledgeable and always ready to meet our patients’ needs. Patient satisfaction questionnaires consistently reflect high quality of care in the Radiation Oncology department at Weiss.
Consultation
Patients can make appointments with a radiation oncologist for consultation during regular clinic hours, Monday through Friday. Consultations help the patient make an informed decision about appropriate cancer treatment options. Second opinions also are available.
During the consultation, all pertinent medical records and x-rays will be reviewed and the patient will be examined prior to a final treatment recommendation. The consultation also allows patients to ask questions about treatment options and radiation treatments in general. Literature about treatment and side effects is provided. Consultations usually last approximately one hour or longer. Your doctor will send letters regarding your consultation to your referring physician and may also contact your physician to discuss your case.
Simulation
Once a decision to offer radiation treatment has been made and the patient has agreed to begin therapy, a planning session—or simulation—is usually performed before therapy begins. This involves a scheduled appointment after the initial consultation, and can take one hour or longer. The simulation allows the physician and the simulation therapist to optimize treatment and design the "fields" to be treated before the first treatment is given.
Three-dimensional conformal therapy is a modern technique available at Weiss that allows the physician to use CT scan information to target the tumor and areas at risk while minimizing the amount of normal tissue treated. This technique allows the physician to optimize treatment and usually results in fewer side effects and better coverage of the tumor than with conventional treatment.
Treatment
Patients should expect to be treated on a daily basis, Monday through Friday, and receive the same dosage every day. In an effort to minimize disruption to their daily routine, most patients are able to schedule radiation treatment times that are convenient for them. The treatment lasts about 15 to 20 minutes, is non-invasive and does not cause pain. We recommend that patients expect to be in the department a minimum of 30 minutes.
Most patients will receive treatment for several weeks, but your doctor will advise you on the length of treatment best for you. Patients often receive chemotherapy in addition to radiation therapy. If so, your radiation oncologist will work closely with your medical oncologist to schedule your treatments in a timely fashion. A weekly visit with your doctor or associates to discuss your treatment provides an opportunity for you to ask questions, and for your doctor to follow your progress. We invite each patient’s support system to be involved in these weekly meetings—called the “on treatment visit”—with the radiation oncologist.
Follow-up Policy
We recommend that patients who have received radiation therapy schedule regular follow-up visits with the radiation oncologist. Your doctor will provide you with a follow-up schedule. Your first follow-up visit is usually three months after you finish radiation therapy, and every three, six, or 12 months thereafter.