Radiation & Safety
Questions you may want to ask your radiation oncologist about the quality assurance at the clinic where you will be receiving therapy.
Training/Education Questions
- Are my radiation oncologist and the medical physicist certified by the American Board of Radiology (ABR)? When do their certifications expire?
- Do the doctor and physicist review each patient’s plan? How often?
- Do the staff here participate in multidisciplinary tumor boards?
- Do all staff regularly participate in continuing medical education?
- Tell me about the staff training given before using new technologies.
Treating Planning Questions
- Who is involved in planning my radiation treatment?
- How is the treatment plan checked to make sure it is best for me?
- What procedures do you have in place so that the treatment team is able to treat me safely?
- How can I be assured that my treatment is being done correctly every day?
- What is the difference between a medical error and a side effect?
Questions for During Treatment
- What kinds of safety checks do you perform each day?
- How often does the medical physicist check the various machines involved during my treatment are working properly?
Questions to Ask After I Finish Treatment
- If I have side effects after my treatment, who can I call? You? My primary care doctor?
- I have a question about a radiation treatment I had many years ago. Who should I call?
General Questions
- If the equipment isn’t working and my treatment is delayed or postponed, who checks that it is safe to use again? And will this delay affect my cancer?
- Do you have weekly chart rounds where you review patient-related information in peer review?
- Will you take imaging scans regularly during my treatment to verify position of my treatment? Who reviews those scans?