How to use these
Informed consent should not be the first time you hear any of this. Watch the video for your treatment before your consent appointment, as many times as you like, and bring your questions with you.
These videos explain the treatment in general terms. They are not a substitute for the conversation with your radiation oncologist, who will discuss your own diagnosis, your own dose and schedule, and the risks that apply specifically to you. Signing a consent form always happens with a clinician present, never here.
If anything in a video is unclear, write it down and ask. There is no such thing as a question that is too small.
1. Superficial Radiation Therapy — Skin Cancer
Image-guided superficial radiation therapy (IG-SRT) for basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers — how the beam is kept at the surface, what a course of treatment looks like, and what to expect for your skin during and after.
2. Low Dose Radiation Therapy — Dupuytren's Contracture
Low-dose radiation therapy for Dupuytren's contracture and Ledderhose disease — why it is used early, before the cords tighten, and what the treatment course involves.
3. Low Dose Radiation Therapy — Osteoarthritis
Low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT) for painful osteoarthritis — how a dose far below cancer treatment levels is used to calm inflammation, and what results to expect and when.
Questions worth asking
- Why is this the right treatment for my diagnosis, rather than the alternatives?
- How many treatments, how long is each one, and over how many weeks?
- What side effects are common, and which ones should I call about straight away?
- What happens if I do nothing, or if I wait?
- What will the treated area look like when it has healed?
Bring this list. Your team would far rather answer ten questions now than have you leave uncertain.
Still have questions?
Call us at (530) 802-6400 or request a visit and we will walk through it with you.