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My Radiotherapy:

    Various radiotherapy protocols are available to the clinical oncologist for therapy delivery.  In my case a modified CHART ( Continuous Hyperfractionated Accelerated Radiotherapy Treatment ) protocol was selected. This meant that the total required radiation dose ( 57.8 Grays in my case ) was split into thirty four fractions, delivered as twice daily sessions over seventeen days. Daily sessions had to be delivered at least eight hours apart so the first was at around eight o'clock in the morning and the second around five o'clock in the afternoon or later. Apart from weekends, the therapy was given in a continuous period and therefore lasted just over three weeks.

For maximum efficacy the fractions were divided into two session groups identified as phase one and phase two. The therapy began with the phase one fractions which used the data from the previous simulator session and delivered radiation to an area covering the tumour and its margins. Phase two, which delivers radiation to a smaller area at the centre of the tumour, comprised the last twelve fractions and was preceded by the second simulator session. Since the radiation effects are cumulative it was essential to complete all the sessions. The same LA was used for all my therapy schedule apart from one day when LA number two was out for maintenance and, my group used LA number five instead. Two radiographers were always present to provide assistance and cross check each patient's treatment regime.

 My therapy started on August 20th at 8am when I joined the group of patients assigned to LA  number two in the cancer treatment centre. Each phase one therapy session lasted about ten minutes, most of which was spent  getting me positioned correctly. More time was spent positioning lead blocks to modify the beam footprint, and moving the gantry manually to change the beam direction. Phase two sessions were slightly shorter as they did not require manual intervention after the session had started, and the gantry moved automatically to direct the beam at different angles. Controlling the actual X-ray beam was done by the radiographers from the safety of their monitoring station outside the room. I could hear their distant voices echoing down the exit corridor as they called out the numbers to verify the settings before initiating treatment.