n WHAT CAN BE EXPECTED DURING TREATMENT?
Weekly On-Treatment Visits (Status Check) When treatment begins, your child will be monitored weekly by the radiation oncologist and/or nurse practitioner. These visits are intended to monitor how well your child is tolerating the treatment and are another opportunity for you to ask questions. During these visits, the area being treated will be examined, any side effects will be discussed, and a plan for managing side effects will be developed. The radiation oncologist may adjust the treatment schedule or radiation dose based on how the treatment is affecting your child and how well it is being tolerated.
Weekly X Rays (Position Verification) X rays will likely be taken at least weekly, usually after every five treatments, and sometimes even daily during therapy. The X rays are reviewed by the radiation oncologist and therapist to verify the treatment position. Positioning is very important during radiation therapy because the tumor has been targeted down to the millimeter. Changes in position may affect which part of the tumor is receiving treatment. The X rays only look at position; they do not provide any information about the tumor’s response to therapy. Follow-Up After Treatment When treatment is completed, your child will have a follow-up appointment with the radiation oncologist to monitor their recovery from treatment. Additional appointments will be scheduled as needed. n WILL MY CHILD BE RADIOACTIVE DURING TREATMENT? If your child is receiving EBRT, he or she will not emit radiation following treatments. However, if your child is undergoing brachytherapy or systemic radiotherapy, he or she will emit radiation during treatment. Special precautions related to the care of your child during radiation therapy will be discussed before and after treatments. n WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF RADIATION THERAPY? Most patients tolerate radiation therapy well. Side effects usually begin 2–3 weeks after treatment begins. Side effects may be mild at first and progress to moderate or severe. They can last for several weeks after radiation therapy has ended. Late side effects may occur months to years after treatment has ended. Because EBRT is a local treatment, side effects generally are experienced in the area where the radiation was given. Side effects may be more severe when radiation therapy is used in conjunction with chemotherapy or surgery.
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