NorthShore Radiation Oncology has a highly skilled team that includes:
Radiation Oncologist | Medical Physicist | Dosimetrist | Therapist | Nurse
The radiation oncology team plans, treats and follows you and your care during your course of treatment. The team is led by radiation oncologists, who are physicians that have been specially trained in using radiation in the treatment of disease. All team members have a vital role in ensuring that each patient receives the highest quality treatment plan delivered with a focus on clinical quality, safety and individualized care.
Radiation Oncologist
The radiation oncologist will meet with you to review your medical history and disease. This physician will develop an individualized treatment plan based on your disease specifics and medical history. The physician works with our trained physics staff that calculates and designs the treatment plan based on their assessment. The treatment plan is developed so radiation is focused precisely on the tumor with a technique that can be delivered accurately on each day of treatment. The radiation oncologist reviews images of the treatment area at least once per week to carefully monitor treatment progress and meets with each patient weekly to review and make adjustments to treatment as necessary.
Medical Physicist
Medical physicists work directly with the radiation oncologist during treatment planning and throughout treatment delivery. They review all plans prior to treatment and oversee daily, weekly and monthly quality checks on all equipment. The medical physicist is responsible for a comprehensive quality program to ensure machines and equipment function properly in accordance with state and federal guidelines.
Dosimetrist
The dosimetrist works closely with both the radiation oncologist and physicist to design the individualized treatment plan for each patient. They are instrumental in ensuring that many of the second checks and quality oversight in the radiation oncology department are completed. The dosimetrist regularly reviews the actual treatments delivered by the therapist to ensure that the patient’s course of therapy is going as planned.
Therapist
Therapists ensure that the treatment plan is correctly administered to each patient. Two therapists are responsible for accurately positioning the patient based on the treatment parameters. They conduct an established second check in the room to reconfirm patient positioning. Two therapists are charged with a “read back” of the treatment parameters for each patient’s treatment. Radiation therapy will not be initiated unless all aspects of the treatment are correct. Patient treatment areas are imaged on a regular basis to ensure the area being treated is correct and unchanged.
Nurse
Nurses collaborate with the radiation oncologist and radiation therapist. The nurse educates patients on what to expect and watch out for during the course of treatment. Nurses closely monitor patients, meeting with them at least once weekly to review progress. Members of your multidisciplinary team, these healthcare professionals direct patients to other services when appropriate and provide “next steps” as treatment is completed.