Care for Cancer Patients undergoing radiation therapy

The Linear Accelerator (Linac):
During external radiation therapy, a linear accelerator delivers high-energy beams to the body. It moves around the patient, targeting the tumor from various angles. The treatment is outpatient-based, meaning patients do not need to stay in the hospital.

Patients typically undergo five sessions per week over several weeks, allowing healthy cells to recover between treatments. Occasionally, a single session is used for pain relief or symptom management in advanced cases.

Each session lasts 10-30 minutes, most of which is spent positioning the patient correctly. The actual radiation delivery is painless and feels similar to getting an X-ray.