What's External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT) like?

• It's distantly like James Bond in Goldfinger
• There is a monstrously large machine
• I'm reclined on a table
• My legs are spread
• I'm restrained
• And a laser is creeping steadily towards my gonads
• I say, "Do you expect me to talk?"
• And the radiation tech says: "No, Mr. Peet, I expect you to die!"
• It's very scary

Scratch that!

• There is a table
• There is a monstrously large machine
• I am reclined (but not restrained)
• It does target my groin area
• It's not scary!

Here's how it works:

• I go daily to the Park Nicollet Frauenshuh Cancer Center in Saint Louis Park
• There is a special entrance with a small parking lot here
• I am ⅓ way through 39 treatments
• The machine is a Varian Truebeam (image below)
• At my appointed hour ...
• I am helped onto a horizontal bed by two radiation techs
• I lower my slacks and undies ... a towel is over my private parts
• I am carefully positioned via laser that triangulates on three small tattoos
• The radiation techs exit the room and a very large 18" thick door glides closed
• The machine does a quick CAT scan to precisely target the radiation
• A large round irradiator passes over me twice
• The machine resets
• The thick door opens and the techs return
• I'm helped off the bed
• I dress and am done

Other:

• A helpful Wiki on EBRT
• An interesting article on the Therac-25 and the mistakes made (image below)
• How radiation works: it damages cells in the target area. Healthy cells have the full DNA and are able to repair themselves. Cancer cells have defective DNA and are not able to repair themselves (and die)
• Side effects: There are some but should be temporary.

Images:

The Therac-25 - an important object lesson on QA testing

Patient receiving EBRT

Me with Radiation Tech before Varian Truebeam

The Varian Truebeam

My schedule