Treatments

Radiation Therapy

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Welcome

Those in Ottawa and the surrounding area come to The Ottawa Hospital’s Radiation Medicine Program to receive radiation therapy.

We provide simulation, planning, and treatment at two different sites: The Ottawa Hospital – General Campus and the Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre (IGFCC) located at the Queensway Carleton Hospital.

What is radiation?

Radiation is used to kill cancer cells while avoiding as much normal tissue as possible. It can also be used to provide symptom or pain relief.

Equipment

We offer advanced cancer treatments with Elekta Linear Accelerators at the General and the IGFCC campuses. Additionally, CyberKnife, MR-linac, brachytherapy, and orthovoltage units are available at the General Campus.

Your physician will determine which technology is best for you.

Radiation treatment steps

  • Before your treatment begins, you’ll have a special appointment called a simulation. This helps your care team plan your treatment precisely.
  • Your team decide on the position you will need to be in during your treatment to get an accurate dose of radiation. You’ll lie on a table in that position during each treatment. 
  • Your team will design treatment accessories such as a face mask to help you stay still and comfortable during treatments. 
  • A CT scan and/or an MRI is taken to map the area(s) that needs radiation. 
  • We will put one to five small permanent ink dots on your skin to guide the treatment. Each dot is the size of a freckle.
  • This appointment usually takes 30 to 90 minutes. Please plan to be in our department for at least two hours. 
  • After your simulation, your radiation oncologist and a team of specialists will design a personalized treatment plan. This plan will ensure that the treatment area gets the maximum dose, while minimizing the impact to the healthy surrounding tissues. 
  • You do not need to be present for treatment planning. 
  • Your team will define the area of treatment and organs to avoid. From there they will calculate the exact dose of radiation that’s right for you. They also use this time to visualize how the radiation will enter and exit your body. This helps to determine the angles the machine will take and how long the radiation treatment needs to be. 
  • Using that information, they will confirm the number of treatments you need and approve the radiation prescription. Patients receive one to 40 radiation treatments. The number of treatments will depend on the goals of treatment and the type of cancer. 
  • They will perform several independent checks to ensure the quality of the plan and that the machines can safely deliver treatment. 
  • Planning can take a few hours to a few weeks to complete, depending on the urgency and complexity of the treatment plan. 
  • Once your plan is ready, you’ll begin your treatments. 
  • We will begin by helping you get into the same position you were during the simulation and take pictures to confirm it is correct.  Next, we will deliver the radiation treatment.
  • Radiation doesn’t hurt while it’s happening and you will not be radioactive afterwards. After your treatment, we will offer you counseling and education on how to manage symptoms. 
  • Please come to the department at least 30 minutes before your appointment is scheduled so that you can check in and prepare. Plan to be there for at least an hour. The first treatment appointment is typically 30 to 45 minutes per area treated. The next treatment appointments are usually 15 to 30 minutes.

Support during treatment

During your radiation therapy, you will receive ongoing support to help manage symptoms and ensure your treatment stays safe and on track. Each week, you will meet with your radiation oncologist or a resident. These visits allow your care team to assess how you are feeling, monitor side effects, adjust your treatment plan if needed and provide medical support. You may also be connected with other services to help you feel your best throughout treatment.

These appointments play an important role in making sure you are tolerating radiation therapy well. They give your team a chance to identify and manage side effects early and provide you with time to ask questions or share any concerns. Regular check-ins help keep your treatment safe, effective and responsive to your needs. 

Weekly review appointments are usually brief, lasting about 10 to 15 minutes. If your radiation oncologist is running a review clinic, you may need to plan for up to an extra hour in the department in addition to your regular treatment time. This added time allows your team to address any concerns thoroughly. 

Managing side effects

Many people receiving radiation therapy experience side effects. During your first and last week of treatment, you will have one-on-one education sessions with a radiation therapist or nurse. They will explain the side effects related to your specific treatment, give you written instructions on how to manage symptoms and review how to contact us if you need more support. You can also view side effect booklets from Cancer Care Ontario.

Throughout treatment, it is important to complete the symptom assessment tool each week and review your symptoms with your radiation team. This helps us recommend strategies to reduce or manage side effects and prescribe medications if needed.

The side effect most often reported by patients receiving radiation therapy is fatigue.  Fatigue can vary in severity and is different for each person. You may be able to continue all, or a portion of, your normal daily activities. However, it is important to note that receiving and recovering from cancer treatment often requires considerable mental and physical effort. 

Most of the side effects of radiation therapy are limited to the area where you receive radiation. For example, a breast cancer patient may notice a skin irritation (like a sunburn) on her breast a few weeks after starting her treatment; A patient with cancer of the mouth may have trouble swallowing. Some side effects may last for several weeks after the final radiation treatment and can leave you with permanent changes.  Please ensure that you report your symptoms to the radiation therapy team

Team

You will meet a compassionate, dedicated and highly specialized team of professionals, including: 

Greet you and provide you with instructions on how to prepare for your treatment. They can also assist you with any appointment changes.

Schedule all appointments related to radiation therapy. 

Design a plan to focus the radiation beam using different angles and shielding pattern. 

Perform the CT/MR-simulation procedure and provide you with education about how to manage side effects. 

Identify where the radiation should be aimed, which organs should be avoided, and gives the final approval for both the radiation prescription and treatment plan.  

Ensure the treatment plan is high quality and that the radiation equipment is used safely. 

Prepare and monitor you if you need a contrast or dye injected as part of your CT or MR-scan procedure and are available to help you manage your symptoms. 

Leadership team

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Dr. Marc Gaudet

Physician, Radiation Oncology
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Melissa Diffey, MRT

Manager, Radiation Therapy
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Miller MacPherson, PhD FCCPM 

Head, Medical Physics