Ray-D-'ay-shun

I recently took a tour of the raditaion area of our oncology center. The on-staff physicist (they keep a physicist on staff?!) showed us around and blew our minds. We took the tour to become more able to get into the emotional shoes of our patients.

Radiation Therapy, also referred to as XRT, is the medical use of ionizing radiation as a means to treat and kill cancerous cells. About half of cancer patients will undergo some form of radiation therapy, but it is always alongside other forms of treatment (such as chemotherapy or surgery). On average, a patient will recieve XRT for 20-30 consecutive business days in one cycle of treatment. The treatment itself only lasts approximately 5 minutes; but, it's the prep time which runs the clock and also fascinates not just the the simple-minded (my people).

First of all, the radiation machines are massive. When the facility was built, the machines had to be included in the initial stages of construction as they are too big and too heavy to be moved into a completed building. Weighing thousands of pounds the devices are literally part of the wall and flooring in their not-very-small rooms. From the walls in 3-dimensions there are light lazer beams which form a cross hairs in the center of the room to maintain a consistent absolute center.

These are necessary so technicians can be so precise as to erradiate an area no bigger than a half dollar. On some places of the body, such as the lungs, the cancer cells are constantly in motion; but, the technology is so advanced it can track the movement, compensate and take care of business without erradiating the wrong areas! Precision is the order of the day.

Patients often need to lay in awkward positions very still. But if the patient can't move a certain way, the entire machine can swivel around to gain the needed angle. When the physicist moved the machine for us, it felt like the entire room was spinning.

This is scary. They make these plastic grated molds that will fit around different areas of your body. Each one is formed specifically to the patient. The mold serves to keep you in the exact position and location consistently from one visit to the next so that the radiation hits the exact same spot every time. Can you imagine laying on a cold table with a gigantic R2-D2 revolving around you while trapped in this face cage of fear?!

For another blogger and chaplain's take on the rad radiation gizmos, click here. (And yes, V, I am copying your picture!)