Radiation Oncology
Consultation and Treatment Planning
Consultation
Outpatient consultations with Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Care's radiation oncologists may be provided at Children's Hospital Boston or at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Jimmy Fund Clinic. Patients requiring a hospital stay are admitted to one of the oncology units at Children's.
Treatment Planning
Simulation and treatment planning form the heart of our program and have increased in sophistication with better imaging and faster computers. Once you and your radiation oncologist decide to pursue radiation therapy, the specific technique for your treatment must be planned. The first step in establishing a treatment plan is to identify the area to be treated. This "mapping" of the treatment area is done on special machines that are called simulators or CT/simulators. These simulators "simulate" or mimic the treatment machine, but instead of producing a high power radiation beam (as it does in treatment), it takes x-ray or CT films which help identify the exact treatment approach.
- Use of stereotactic techniques for brain tumor treatment to decrease the long term sequelae of therapy.
- Implementation of computerized tomography for radiation therapy treatment planning to optimize conformal techniques, identify critical structures, and to maximize efficacy and minimize toxicity.
The simulators are located at Brigham and Women's Hospital. After simulation, our team will be ready to deliver radiation treatment.
