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      Next, another scan was taken of my lower head, neck and upper chest area. This time I was fed into a Computed Tomography (CT) scanner, which looks much the same as an MRI scanner but is, mercifully, much quieter in operation. The images from the different scans were used to determine the exact location, mass and extent of the cancer.

      Computer software was one of the tools then employed by specialists to calculate the total amount of radiation required, and how it would be delivered to the diseased area by the radiotherapy apparatus. The product of these calculations was a set of instructions, unique to each patient, which was fed into the apparatus for each individual therapy session. 

Although it is relatively easy for the apparatus to interpret the individual sets of instructions and position the X-ray gun with extreme accuracy, it is not yet smart enough to find out where the patient is actually located. The machine assumes the patient has been placed correctly and will maintain exactly the same position for the duration of the session. It is the task of the radiographers to position the patient initially for each session but, it is too dangerous for them to remain with the patient during treatment. A method of keeping the patient immobile in the correct place is necessary and, for head and neck cancer, this is provided by a plastic mask