Radiation oncologists are doctors who have advanced training and experience in treating cancer patients with radiation. During your first visit to the radiation oncology center, you will meet your radiation oncologist. It is his/her job to determine how much and what kind of radiation will be most effective for you. The radiation oncologist heads a team of health professionals that includes:

• A physician assistant who works with the physicians in monitoring your response to treatment;
• A nurse who provides patient education and nursing care to patients during radiation treatments;
• The radiation therapists who actually give you your treatments;
• The medical physicist and dosimetrist who help develop your treatment plan, perform calculations to carry out your radiation dose prescription and perform quality control tests on all equipment to ensure proper dose delivery;
• The social worker who is available for financial, emotional or coping issues; and 
• The clinical dietitian who provides nutritional information for patients undergoing radiation treatments (when needed).

You will meet most members of the treatment team during your visits to the center.

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