Prostate Cancer video thumbnail
Prostate Cancer video >>

Radiation Oncology

Home
Services & Specialties
Cancer Center
Radiation Oncology

The Radiation Oncology department at LGH is one of only 8 radiation centers in the state of Massachusetts accredited by the ACR.

Radiation therapy is an important part of many cancer patients' total treatment plan. During your treatments, carefully targeted and measured doses of radiation are delivered to your body. The radiation produces highly energized ions that gradually shrink and destroy cancer cells. As a radiation therapy patient, you typically will receive treatments five days per week for several weeks, to be determined by your Radiation Oncologist.

Radiation Oncologist

The Radiation Oncologist is a physician who provides specialized treatment of both malignant and benign disease by using radiation beams and other forms of radioactive materials to treat these conditions. Your Radiation Oncologist will work together, updating and discussing with your primary care physician and other specialists, to render the most effective treatment possible. You will visit with your Radiation Oncologist once a week to evaluate the progress throughout your radiation treatment course.

Treatment Team

Patients who come to the Cancer Center at Lowell General Hospital can expect the personal touch from a great staff, as well as the best possible treatment from state-of-the-art equipment. Your radiation therapy treatment team is comprised of Radiation Oncologists, radiation therapists, oncology nurses, medical physicists and medical dosimetrists. Together, this skilled and experienced team prescribes, plans, administers and monitors your radiation treatments and teaches you about cancer care. Each team member has a specific role and will review specialized education.

Treatment Equipment

The Radiation Oncology department uses two linear accelerators to deliver radiation doses to all types of malignant diseases, as well as benign diseases. These are identically matched machines, which allow for patients to be treated without interruption on either accelerator, with few exceptions. Both accelerators are also equipped with state-of-the-art technology that allows patients to have rapid, accurate treatments that can be easily verified. As the technology within the radiation oncology field changes, Lowell General Hospital is committed to provide the most up-to-date technology for the patients of the community, such as Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT).

Planning of Radiation Treatments

If your Radiation Oncologist determines radiation would be beneficial for your disease, you will be scheduled for a planning appointment, called a simulation. The simulation is to determine the position you will be in for your daily treatments, perform a CT scan of the area to be treated, and place markings on your skin to pin-point where the treatments will be delivered. The simulation is just the first step in the planning process for your treatment. Additional diagnostic studies (such as MRI or PET scan) may be beneficial to determine the treatment area. The planning process is a coordinated effort with your radiation therapy treatment team and can take a week or more to finalize.

Regularly Scheduled Appointments

Your radiation therapy team will contact you once the planning process has been completed and treatments can begin. We strive to accommodate every patient's schedule preference to the best of our ability. Treatments are given routinely Monday through Friday for several weeks and typically last approximately 15 minutes each day. Every effort should be taken to consistently receive your radiation treatments. Should a situation arise that would cause you to miss or cancel a radiation treatment, please call 978-937-6273.