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CONSULTATION
/ INITIAL EVALUATION
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 When
you are scheduling your consultation appointment,
the office staff will ask that you supply medical
records prior to your appointment. On the day of the
appointment, you will be asked to bring the following
items to the visit:
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*
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List
of all current medications and dosages (include
any over the counter or or alternative medicines)
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*
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Insurance
cards / Co-Pay |
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*
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Driver's
license or other appropriate identification |
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*
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Imaging
films or disks |
During the consultation, you will meet with the physician
to discuss your course of treatment. Side effects
and treatment expectations will be reviewed and the
physician will perform an examination. You may ask
questions and will be asked to sign a consent form
when a treatment decision has been made. This appointment
often will last approximately one hour.
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TREATMENT
PLANNING / SIMULATION
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 A
radiation therapist will perform a CT scan to plan
the area of treatment. CT images are transferred to
a planning computer where the physician maps out the
treatment targets and fields. You will be positioned
in the manner in which you will receive the daily
treatment. The therapist will use ink to mark several
reference points on your skin. Photographs will be
taken for identification and to document positioning.
General skin care information is given. More specific
details may be reviewed with the nurse. Allow approximately
one hour for this appointment. ***(This is not a diagnostic
procedure, and therefore no written report is generated.)***
 This
is an appointment with the radiation therapists. The
film and set-up day is used to verify the treatment
fields before the start of the first treatment. X-ray
films will be taken on the treatment machine in the
position that was determined during the CT scan. Patients
should allow thirty minutes for the appointment. Your
daily treatment appointment will be scheduled at this
time.
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RADIATION
THERAPY DAILY TREATMENT
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  Your
treatment appointment will be scheduled for the same
time each day, Monday through Friday. Every effort
is made to accommodate your appointment preference;
however, you may be given another appointment time
until your first choice becomes available. Any schedule
change requests should be directed to the therapists.
Each week you will be seen by the physician and the
nurse. Your therapist will notify you of the exam
days and you should plan to be here slightly longer
on those days.
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