Physics Treatment Planning

For treatment planning, the resident is required to mark on the simulator film the position of the required CT cuts. These will be transferred to the patient. The following day, the treatment tumor volume needs to be outlined by the resident. The Physics Division then prepares a treatment plan, which is discussed with the resident and faculty member. When a particular plan is chosen, this plan must be signed by the faculty member in charge of the case before the patient can be treated.

Treatment

No treatment time should be promised to a patient before checking with the chief therapist. Any changes in the prescription or orders must be written in the patient’s chart and flagged with a red flag, both on the front of the patient’s chart and at the area of change.

All port films and simulator films approved by a resident must be signed by the resident. Residents will be called to verify patient set-up and field placement at the treatment machines (“see-on-set-up”). Verification films should be checked by the resident daily and signed. All doses over 400 cGy with emergency calculations must be checked by the Physics Division. The resident on call should check with the treatment machines and with the nurses before leaving the department so that the department will not be without physician coverage. If the resident trades or changes calls with another resident, please inform the therapist and staff physician on call with you, as well as the secretary in charge of the Residency Program. Always check with the therapist on a particular machine before entering a treatment room.

When diagnostic imaging is needed, the resident should contact the assigned individual and give him/her pertinent information, such as the patient’s name and hospital number, what x-ray is required, and the date that it is performed. In order to get selected imaging copied for the RT film jacket, the resident should take the films out of the folder and place the films which he/she wishes to have copied on top of the folder. The entire jacket is placed in the middle box at the nurses’ station. All films are to be pulled and put in the copy box or the return box before 4:00 p.m. each day. Any films on inpatients need to be returned to the film library before the resident leaves at the end of the day.