Radiation Oncology Team

Short placeholder heading

Radiation oncologists are the doctors who oversee your radiation treatment. They work with other specialists, such as medical oncologists and surgeons, to coordinate your cancer care.

You will meet with your radiation oncologist the first time you visit the Department of Radiation Oncology and during the planning phase of your treatment.

Your radiation oncologist will prescribe the exact radiation dosage as well as the number of treatments you will need.

Once your daily radiation treatment sessions begin, you will have scheduled appointments with your radiation oncologist at least once every week.

Nurses

Our experienced oncology nurses have backgrounds in medicine, medical oncology, surgical oncology, bone marrow transplantation, infectious diseases, and critical care. Nurses are paired with physicians in disease-specific practices and work closely with them to care for patients.

Physicists

Medical physicists are responsible for the overall safety and accuracy of the treatment equipment as well as for the computers used to optimize your treatment. They work directly with radiation oncologists during treatment planning and delivery.

In addition, medical physicists oversee the work of dosimetrists to ensure that complex treatments are individually tailored for each patient. Both medical physicists and dosimetrists monitor your treatment weekly to ensure accuracy and quality.

Dosimetrists

Dosimetrists assist radiation oncologists in planning your treatment through the use of computers, CT scans, special x-ray films, and body measurements.

The radiation oncologist gives the dosimetrist guidelines for the dose to be delivered, and then the dosimetrist calculates the size, shape, and arrangement of the area that will receive the dose of radiation.

The goal of the dosimetrist is to design a combination of fields that adequately treats the area of disease while avoiding areas of sensitive normal tissues. A senior medical physicist and your radiation oncologist will oversee your plan before treatment to ensure you are getting the best, and safest, care.

Radiation Therapists

Radiation therapists are responsible for administering the radiation treatments that your radiation oncologist prescribes. They participate in the planning and simulation process, work with you during treatment sessions, and maintain treatment records.

Resident Physicians

Our residents have completed four years of medical school and one year of internship, and are specializing in the field of radiation oncology. Residents are integral members of our treatment team. Under supervision, they are involved in all aspects of patient care. These include the initial consultation; discussion with treating physicians from other specialties to develop a strategy; simulation; development of a treatment plan in collaboration with the dosimetry department; and the daily management of patients receiving treatment.