Planning appointments
Before you start radiation treatment, you will have a planning appointment.
At this appointment, you may have a computed tomography (CT) scan, or the doctor may draw the area they wish to treat on your skin. Radiation therapists and doctors will use the information gathered during this appointment to plan your treatment.
You may also receive another form of treatment along with radiation therapy, such as chemotherapy or surgery.
Preparation for your scan
You may have been sent, or given instructions by phone, to prepare for your planning scan. It is important to follow these instructions.
If you have been unable to follow this advice, tell your radiation therapist.
If you are unsure about what you need to do to prepare, call 04 806 2000 and ask to speak to the planning department.
Making a mask (shell)
We may make a mask for your planning scan and your treatment if we are treating your:
Your head is very mobile and difficult to keep still, so we use a mask to help you keep it in the right place for treatment.
The video below has more information about having this treatment. Part of the video goes through how we make the mask for you.
Head and neck cancer treatment info — YouTube
CT scan
On the day of your scan
When you arrive at Wellington Regional Hospital check in at the reception of the radiation therapy department on level 2. A radiation therapist will come to meet you in the main waiting room and take you and your support people into a clinic room.
They will explain what is going to happen and make sure you have all the required information. This is usually a good time to ask any questions. You may have been asked to follow some instructions in preparation for your scan. It is important to tell them if you have been unable to follow this advice.
Once everything has been explained, they may ask you to get changed into a gown or trousers, depending on what area of the body we are scanning. They will give you a basket to put your belongings in while you have the scan.
Having your scan
The radiation therapist will show you into the CT room. Your support people are welcome to join you, but will be asked to leave when you have the scan. You will be asked to lie down on the CT couch in a position as comfortable as possible and we will plan your treatment. This is the same position you will be in for your treatment so if it is uncomfortable let the staff know.
The radiation therapists will move you into the right position for treatment by using laser lights. Then they will draw some pen marks on your skin. These will wash off. They will also place some markers on your skin, which will come off at the end. They will then move you through the scanner. Once you are in the correct position, the radiation therapists will tell you they are leaving the room.
While the radiation therapists are out of the room, they can see and hear you at all times. If you need them, call out or wave, and they will come back in. You will move through the centre of the scanner a few times during the scan. While you are having your scan, you will not be able to feel or see anything, but you will hear a whirring noise when the scanner is on. Once you have had the scan, the radiation therapists will come back into the room and take a few more measurements. They may then ask you if they can make some permanent tattoo dots on the skin or cover your marks with plastic tape.
Tattoo dots
Sometimes we need to make small dots on your skin to guide your treatment. These are permanent. A radiation therapist will wipe your skin with an alcohol swab, place a dot of ink onto the skin surface, then using a sterile needle they will push a tiny amount of ink under your skin. They will wipe off any excess ink leaving a tiny permanent dot on your skin. This will not wash off.
Not all patients need tattoo dots, in some cases plastic tape is used to keep the marks on your skin. This tape is not permanent but we hope that it will last until you have finished treatment. Let us know if you are allergic to plasters.
Consent
After you have had your scan, you may see your consultant or registrar. This is so they can give you all the information you need to consent to treatment.
This is a good time to ask any questions you may have about treatment. Questions often come up after you have seen the doctor, so write these down and bring them to your next appointment.
Questions to ask your doctors — Cancer Society
The doctor may give you a prescription for medication you need to take before treatment. It is important to go to a pharmacy and fill your prescription before you start treatment. Let the doctor or a member of the team know if you cannot get to a pharmacy or if you cannot afford the prescription.
Creating a treatment plan
You do not need to come to the hospital for the next part of the planning process. Your consultant and the radiation therapists will use the information from your scan to plan your treatment.
Once your plan is created, it is checked to make sure it is correct by the:
- radiation therapists
- doctor
- physics department.
It will be checked again by the radiation therapists on the treatment machine before treatment starts. This part of the process can take 2 hours or up to 2 weeks, depending on how complex the treatment is.
Once your plan is complete, you will be called, or sent an appointment in the post, with the date you will start treatment. The rest of your appointments will be given to you on the day you start treatment.
If you do not receive details of your appointment, call us on 04 806 2000