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Radiation Therapist

Radiation therapy is one of the major treatment plans for cancer patients using various forms of radiation such as X-rays, gamma rays and electron beams. In some cases, radiation therapy can cure the disease and in other cases, it will relieve the symptoms. Radiation therapy may be used alone or in combination with surgery or chemotherapy (drugs).

Radiation therapy is one of the most sophisticated advancements of modern medicine and requires a highly skilled professional to be part of the treatment team. Radiation therapists work under the supervision of radiation oncologists. After positioning the patient and the equipment, the therapist is directed by the physician to administer prescribed concentrations of X-rays or other forms of ionizing radiation to the diseased areas of the patient's body. Different levels of radiation, including alpha, beta, gamma, neutron and X-rays are used depending upon the treatment required. The therapist sets the controls for a specific intensity and exposure time, and monitors these controls throughout the duration of the treatment.

The radiation therapist must understand the principles of radiation protection to ensure the safety of the patient and to protect healthy tissue from radiation exposure. Therapists must also know the best equipment to use for each patient, as well as know how to position the patient properly. Because most patients have great fears and anxieties about the disease and the treatment, radiation therapists often find themselves calming patients and tending to their emotional needs. An understanding of practical psychology, the physiology of cancer and the emotional and physical responses to treatment is essential.