Radiation Therapy - Treatment Regimens

During the consultation appointment, Dr. Nagata discusses the treatment options that would be most beneficial to the patient's condition.

Depending on the type and location of the tumor to be treated, the best course of treatment may be a "full-course" regimen or "palliative" radiation therapy (RT).

RT Protocols

There are various types of protocols in two big categories: the more common "full-course (definitive)" protocol (typically 12-20 treatments) and the less common "palliative" protocol (typically 3-6 treatments).

The "full-course" treatment regimen includes daily radiation treatments at a lower strength of radiation and will take 3-4 weeks to complete. The "palliative" protocol indicates a stronger dose of radiation for each treatment, with treatments usually occurring once a week during the course of 3-4 weeks.

** The unit of radiation is referred to as a "gray" and is abbreviated as "Gy". The illustration to the left demonstrates the "full-course" and "palliative" radiation therapy protocol.