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Simulation session
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The simulation appointment takes about one hour. After you check in at the front desk, you will be asked to go to the dressing room to change into a treatment gown. A radiation therapist will then escort you to the simulator room. In the simulator room, you will be placed on a simulator. You will be positioned on a breast board with your arm above your head. The radiation oncologist will make temporary marks on your skin, which are used to obtain correct measurements and angles. These are used to guide the treatment beams so that they target only your breast tissues. Once your radiation oncologist approves the treatment angles, verification films are made. Permanent black dots the size of a pin point (sometimes referred to as "tattoos") are then placed on your body to outline the treatment fields. The tattoos are permanent, but they are very tiny. Some people worry about the tattoos because they are permanent, but they are very hard to see. The tattoos serve two purposes: First, they act as landmarks for the radiation therapist to use when delivering the radiation. And second, if there is ever a need in the future to know in what area your radiation treatment was given, the tattoos mark the precise locations. After the simulation
session is finished, a regular treatment
time will be scheduled for you. Every effort will be made to
accommodate your schedule.
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The
purpose of a simulation session is to obtain important information
which is used to plan your radiation treatment. The session takes place approximately
two to four weeks after surgery and/or chemotherapy to ensure that
your body has time to adequately heal and recover before any radiation
therapy begins.
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