External treatment does not require hospitalization or surgery, nor does it make patients “radioactive”.

You may need to remove your clothes and wear a gown during the treatment session. In the treatment room, which is used specifically for radiation therapy, the radiation therapist will position you on a table.

The radiation therapist may put custom-crafted blocks (shields) in a holder attached to the treatment machine. These blocks shape the treatment beam to your body and the area being treated. Your radiation oncologist determines the shape of the treatment beam to your body and the area being treated. Your radiation oncologist determines the shape of the treatment beam during the simulation process. An X-ray machine, called a linear accelerator or “Linac”, then directs high-energy X-rays to the treatment area.

External radiation therapy usually requires five treatment sessions a week for two to seven weeks. However, you may have more or fewer treatments depending on your special needs. Each session takes 10-15 minutes, but you receive radiation only for a brief time during the session.