What is radiotherapy and what is a radiation oncologist?
Radiotherapy or radiation oncology is the branch of medicine concerned with treatment of tumors with high energy X-rays. This treatment can be given in multiple small doses or a few large doses depending on the kind of tumor and the goal of treatment. It can be given externally from a machine called a linear accelerator or internally via radioactive sources which are implanted into the body, brachytherapy. The radiation therapy team usually consists of the physician who is called the radiation oncologist and who prescribes the treatment and oversees the results and side effects; the physicist and dosimetrist who help determine the best treatment plan and who maintain the accuracy of the treatment; and the therapist or technician who positions the patient on a daily basis and administers the treatment.
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- What is radiotherapy and what is a radiation oncologist?
