External treatment practices

5 devices in total are used for external treatments. Four of them are Linear Accelerators, and they can produce 6 and 18 MV X-rays, and 6 different levels of electron beams. These devices are on floors -1 and -2. Other two devices used for external purposes are Novalis® and Cyberknife®, and they are located on floor -2 at their specially constructed sites.

External treatment devices are kept in specially constructed rooms with thick walls in order to prevent radiation emission to environment and managed from a control room where a technician is placed. During the treatment, there exist a closed circuit camera system by which the patient is monitored and a diaphone system that enables mutual conversation.

After the patient is taken to the therapy room, he is prepared in dressing cabins leaving the treatment areas in open as deemed appropriate by the physicians and technicians. Patient is laid down to the treatment table. After the patient is placed on the treatment table as in the simulator, other conditions like mask or treatment bed are provided, if available. The physician, radiotherapy specialist, and technicians perform the necessary procedures according to the treatment areas specified previously and the treatment is started after the team leaves the room, where the device is located.

Patient feels nothing during the treatment. He may hear a low, mild, continuous noise when the radiation is given. Treatment takes approximately 10-20 minutes. The duration may be longer if there is more than one area. The device spins around the patient. It is significant for the patient not to move during the treatment. After the treatment is completed, the patient is taken out of the room by the technician, and appointment is scheduled for the patient for following treatments.

While the treatments differ according to the treatment protocol to be applied for patient, they vary between 1 and 7 weeks, generally being applied on 5 days in a week (Monday - Friday). In particular situations, the treatment may be applied 2-3 times in a day.