After chemotherapy, some children may also receive radiation therapy to the entire body. This type of radiation is call total body irradiation (TBI).
What is radiation therapy?
Radiation therapy is the use of a special energy X-rays which damages or destroys cancer and/or malfunctioning bone marrow cells. You cannot see or feel radiation.
Why does my child need radiation therapy?
Radiation therapy can help to treat or cure your child’s cancer. It also helps kill the malfunctioned bone marrow cells to make room for bone marrow cells that will be transplanted. The doctor who is responsible for radiation treatment is called a radiation oncologist.
How does radiation therapy work?
The radiation beams affect the cell’s ability to grow and reproduce. The goal of radiation treatment is to deliver an effective dose of radiation to the cancerous or abnormal bone marrow cells and destroy them. Fortunately, most normal cells are less sensitive to the effects of radiation, and they can recover more easily than cancerous or abnormal bone marrow cells.
Total body irradiation (TBI) is fractionated. This means that the total dose of radiation is given in separate small treatments, or fractions, twice each day, for three days.
The total dose is different depending on your child’s illness. Generally, the TBI your child receives will be at low doses.
Before radiation begins
You will meet with the radiation oncology treatment team. This radiation team will include the radiation oncologist, the nurse coordinator, and a radiation therapist. They will examine your child and explain the treatment to you. You will find out the schedule of the planning sessions and treatments, and they will review the side effects.
Remember to bring a pen and paper to write down any new information or questions you may have.
Please have your child come with shorts and a tank top without metal to make them feel more comfortable for the planning scan and treatment.
What happens at the planning CT scan?
The planning CT is done at the radiation hospital. Your child will need to lie still on a mattress on the CT table. The purpose of the CT scan is to help the radiation oncologist map out the treatment required. The CT scan will take about 30 to 45 minutes to set up and do the scan.
What happens during radiation therapy?
The radiation usually occurs between the chemotherapy and the blood and marrow transplant (BMT).
Radiation treatment is like having an X-ray. There is no pain. This is what your child will experience:
- Your child will lie down on the mattress in the radiation therapy room.
- On the first treatment your child will have special wires placed on them to monitor the radiation.
- Your child can watch a DVD or listen to music to help them lie still.
- Once your child is ready, parents and therapists must leave the room.
- You can see your child on a video TV monitor and you can speak to him.
- The radiation treatment will begin. The machines may make clicking or whirring noises. The treatment will last less 30 to 45 minutes including time to reposition your child whereby staff will go in the room.
- The radiation nurse and radiation therapists will be available for any questions or concerns you may have.
Is radiation therapy dangerous for family members or friends?
No. The radiation will only affect the person who is having the treatment. The radiation is a form of energy, like heat or light, which goes away very quickly when the energy source is removed. Your child is not “radioactive."