Radiation Therapy at Holzer Center for Cancer Care
Ryan Ramsburg
Medical Dosimetrist
In addition to physicians and nurses, an integral part of the team to fight cancer is the medical dosimetrist. A medical dosimetrist is a member of the radiation oncology team who has the education and expertise to work with the radiation oncology treatment equipment and calculate radiation dosages in collaboration with the medical physicist and radiation oncologist.
After the Radiation Oncologist has prescribed a radiation dose, the medical dosimetrist designs a treatment plan using a computer to determine a treatment field technique that delivers that prescribed radiation dose. In addition, respiratory gating, the fourth dimension to radiation therapy treatment that makes it possible to place radiation beams precisely and track the position of tumors that move when a patient breathes, is also well thought out.
Ryan Ramsburg, a Meigs County native, is receiving on-the-job training with oversight by a certified medical dosimetrist with Comprehensive Physicist Services Inc. for this very important position at HCCC. In addition, he has attended the Medical Tech Management Institute in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to participate in a medical dosimetrist course, and will be required to have oversight by a certified medical dosimetrist for two years, before being permitted to sit for Boards to be certified.
“Working with our physicians on individual treatment planning is not only challenging, but very exciting,” Ramsburg said. “It is very rewarding having the opportunity to decide how a patient’s treatment will be implemented and seeing that it is followed through so that we have given a patient the best plan available to fight their disease.”
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Your diagnosis of cancer is difficult to accept and hard to understand. Confusing medical jargon and overwhelming information can make the process even more difficult. What should you expect when your treatment includes radiation therapy? In this section we present some basic information to help allay your fears.
Please feel free to Contact Us for any additional information on the programs and services of the Holzer Center for Cancer Care.
Radiation therapy is one of the most common treatments for cancer. It is a process in which waves of radiation are sent into the body to destroy cancer cells. Treatment is given in either one of two ways, either external or internal radiation therapy.
External radiation therapy uses a machine to aim high-energy rays at the cancer. Usually no hospital stays are needed during external radiation therapy. The process is very similar to getting an x-ray and is 100% painless.
Internal radiation therapy employs a radioactive implant placed into or close to the cancer itself. Another use of implants is to kill cancer cells which may remain in your body after the surgical removal of a tumor. Because the process involves an implant, it can involve slight discomfort.
Identifying the location of your cancer is done through a process called simulation. The procedure is painless and only required you to lie still while the radiation therapist takes x-ray like pictures. This information provides the therapist with information about the exact location in need of treatment.
External Radiation Therapy
External Radiation Therapy lasts only a few minutes but takes time to set up. You should plan to be in a session for 15 to 30 minutes. During the actual process you will be asked to lie flat and breathe normally. Your treatments will usually be given 5 days a week for 5 to 8 weeks, depending on the type and location of the cancer along with your general health. Once your doctor determines the total dose of radiation, time must be given between treatments so that your healthy tissue can heal and repair itself. This process is call fractionation.
Rate of Pain: 100% painless.
Types of External Radiation Therapy include:
Internal Radiation Therapy
Internal Radiation Therapy (Brachytherapy) is used for cancer of the tongue, lip, vagina, cervix, endometrium, rectum, bladder, and brain. An implant of radioactive materials is placed directly in or as close as possible to the cancer. The radiation implant may be used to shrink a tumor before surgery, to destroy cancer cells remaining, or as the main treatment. Implants may be permanent or temporary.
Rate of Pain: minimal; only slight discomfort
Two Main Types of Internal Radiation Therapy include:
- Intracavitary Radiation
- Interstitial Radiation
Why Choose Holzer for your Radiation Therapy?
It is not unusual for patients requiring radiation therapy to travel for hours over long distances in order to receive the treatment they need. Since March 2005, the Holzer Center for Cancer Care has made it easier and more convenient to receive both external and internal radiation therapy in Gallia County and the Southeastern Ohio Valley.
 More important than location is the quality of care. The Holzer Center for Cancer Care features the most state-of-the-art equipment and modern techniques. Perhaps more important still are the qualifications of our staff and their commitment to compassionate, comprehensive care. Our staff works with you to inform and educate you regarding the radiation therapy that is right for you.
You are always welcome to Contact Us for information that will help you make the right decision. Our staff respects your privacy and is always ready to walk with you through your radiation therapy process, or explain any aspect of treatment that interests you.
Cancer is not only a physical affliction, but emotional and mental as well. The Holzer Center for Cancer Care provides support groups that are held on the third Thursday of every month. Support groups allow you to meet with people who are going through the same experiences, or who have already gone through the emotional battles and side effects you may be about to experience.
For those suffering hair loss, and who may find it difficult to accept, our volunteers are prepared to custom fit you with a free wig, or help you find the wig that best suits you. Visit the Appearance Center for more information.
Follow up care is very important. No matter the type of cancer you may be battling, when radiation therapy ends it is necessary to continue with regular check ups in order to monitor your progress and give you another opportunity to ask questions about anything that you may be noticing. Follow up sessions allow you to ask questions such as: “Can I go back to eating what I want? May I resume my normal activities? When can I try to have children again?”
The Holzer Center for Cancer Care is here for one reason… to serve. We offer radiation treatment for many types of cancers and are ready to help you along your path to recovery.
Please feel free to Contact Us with any questions. You may request informative publications that can help both you and your caregiver/ family members in understanding your cancer treatment and in dealing with your situation. You may also visit or call the Holzer Center for Cancer Care. Our volunteers are waiting and willing to answer any question you may have.
Your diagnosis of cancer is a difficult concept to accept, and radiation therapy is serious medicine. At Holzer Center for Cancer care, our mission is to make your treatment as comfortable and as effective as possible. Your treatment should present no obstacle to helping you defeat cancer and return to health. That is why we do everything possible to help you understand what your body is going through, how your radiation therapy will proceed, and how we can all work together to make treatments as easy as possible for you.
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