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The various steps involved in planning are immobilisation, treatment planning, plan evaluation and approval, quality assurance and treatment delivery.
IMMOBILISATION : Patient undergoes planning CT scan on the first day. He/She is made to lie in a comfortable position. An aquaplast mould is used for head and neck cancers, pelvic cancers and tumours involving the limbs. Occasionally a vacuum cushion called Vacloc is used for immobilising the part to be treated and for everyday reproducibility.
CT scan/MRI/ PETCT scan: These imaging tools are used either alone or in combination depending upon the tumor site to be treated for identifying the tumor and the critical organs that need to be spared from radiotherapy. The radiation oncologist then contours the entire tumor and the critical organs. A dose is prescribed to the tumor. The Radiation oncologist also prescribes a dose to the critical organs which should not be exceeded.
TREATMENT PLANNING: The Medical Physicist then does the calculations and derives a treatment plan.
PLAN EVALUATION & APPROVAL: The Radiation oncologist then evaluates the plan to make sure the tumor is getting the full prescribed dose and the critical organ doses are not exceeded.
QUALITY ASSURANCE AND TREATMENT DELIVERY
