The centres selected by My Medical Suitcase all have the latest generation technical facilities at their disposal, allowing them to perform various irradiation techniques.
The choice of technique will depend on the pathology being treated and the latest scientific recommendations:
- Conformal 3-D Radiation Therapy (RT3D) takes into account the three-dimensional shape of the tumour
- Intensity Modulated Conformal 3-D Radiation Therapy (IMRT, Dynamic Arc-Therapy): radiotherapy that allows a better adaptation to the shape of the tumour by varying the intensity of the beam. It is used in particular for ear, nose and throat (ENT) and pelvic tumours.
- Stereotactic Radiotherapy (RTS): Radiotherapy, with millimetre precision, enables high doses of radiation to be delivered in just a few sessions (from one to nine depending on the analysis). This radiotherapy is considered ablative because its results are close to those of surgery in many cases: Brain metastases, small-scale lung cancer, liver or bone metastases and others.
- Brachytherapy: a radiotherapy technique aimed at directly implanting a radioactive material in contact with the tumour, which makes it possible to deliver a high dose to the tumour and spare the neighbouring organs as much as possible. It is particularly used in gynaecological and prostate tumours.
After your treatment proposal has been accepted, a consultation with your referring radiation oncologist will take place. During this session, the doctor will check your file, examine you and explain the treatment modalities, the side effects and how to prevent them. You will then receive a treatment plan. After this step, a centring scan will be programmed. This scan helps to identify the tumour and is carried out under the condition of treatment. Depending on the location of the tumour and the technique used, tattoo points may be made.
Other examinations may also be scheduled during this phase: MRI, PET scan, and others.
You will also be offered a consultation with a technician.
After the scan, the radiation oncologist determines the volume of radiation and the dose to be delivered to the tumour. Medical physicists then calculate the position of the beams and carry out the treatment plan.
This plan is approved by the radiation oncologist and after quality controls, the treatment can start. During the treatment you are placed in the same position as in the centring scan. The session is painless. The length, pace and number of sessions are variable.
During treatment, you will be seen for checkups on a weekly basis to manage side effects and answer your questions.
