Your Treatment Journey, Step by Step

Your journey usually passes through these stations: consultation and consent → CT planning session → plan preparation period → first treatment → daily sessions → weekly review → treatment completion → regular follow-up.

Some details may differ for your case, and your team will explain any differences.

At the consultation, your radiation oncologist explains why radiotherapy is being recommended, its goal, the expected number of sessions, and its benefits and possible side effects.

Take your time asking questions — bring someone you trust, and write your questions down beforehand. Signing consent means you understood and accepted the plan, and you can always ask for more explanation.

After your planning session the work does not stop: your doctor outlines the tumor and healthy organs on your scan slice by slice, physicists design the radiation plan on computers, and careful quality checks are run on the machine before your first session.

This period — usually several days to two weeks — is deliberate safety time, not a delay in your care. If your situation is urgent, your doctor will use a rapid pathway.

You usually come Sunday to Thursday, with the weekend to rest. Most of each visit is spent positioning you precisely; the radiation itself takes only a few minutes.

You will see your doctor or nurse at least weekly to monitor side effects — and on any day you need help, tell the therapists and they will arrange it.

Finishing your sessions is not the end of your care: some side effects may peak a few days after treatment ends and then gradually improve — this is expected and normal.

You will have regular follow-up appointments to assess tumor response and recovery. Keep contacting your team if any new or worrying symptom appears.