Your cancer care team

A radiation oncologist is a doctor who specializes in the use of radiation to treat cancer and will be responsible for all aspects of your radiation care. At GenesisCare, our radiation oncologists have extensive experience with your type of cancer, as well as using the most advanced radiation treatment systems available to treat it.

Radiation oncology is constantly progressing. You may have options today that were not available just a decade ago. Your radiation oncologist will help you understand which treatments are most appropriate for your type of cancer, its size, location and stage. Whether you have surgery or chemotherapy as part of your treatment will also influence which radiation option you ultimately choose.

Your radiation oncologist will work with you and the rest of your team to determine your treatment plan, including the type of radiation treatment, the dosage amounts, the number of treatment sessions, scheduling, and other related details.

Your radiation therapist is a nationally certified technologist responsible for delivering your treatment according to your radiation oncologists insutructions. They look after much of the day-to-day practicalities of treatment.

A dosimetrist helps determine how much radiation patients receive during treatment, which is a true balancing act. The goal is to target the tumor site with as much radiation as possible without damaging surrounding healthy tissue—thereby minimizing the risk of side effects. Once your radiation oncologist has determined the dose of radiation to be delivered to your tumor, the dosimetrist will design a treatment plan using sophisticated software to determine the number of beams and angles to achieve this dose. When designing this treatment plan, your dosimetrist will take into consideration critical structures, such as nearby organs or important tissues, in the area of the tumor.

Your radiation physicist will work directly with your radiation oncologist to oversee and review the work of the dosimetrist and ensure that complex treatment plans are properly tailored for your specific needs.

Like any type of sophisticated, high-tech equipment, radiation therapy systems need continuous attention. Your radiation physicist is responsible for developing quality control programs to make sure the device used for your radiation therapy is calibrated to deliver exactly the right amount of radiation at every visit. They will also run safety tests on the equipment on a regular basis and review all calculations during your course of treatment.

Before, during and after your treatment, your GenesisCare nurses and medical assistants will coordinate your cancer care and will be your point of contact. They will schedule your sessions and provide you with treatment information, including how to prepare for sessions and what to expect.  They are there to answer questions, help you manage any side effects, and connect you with any support services you may need.

The patient navigator is a primary point of contact for the patient and works with other members of the healthcare team to coordinate care.  A patient navigator provides individualized assistance and helps patients access a variety of support services. Navigators provide educational materials, communicate questions or concerns to the team, connect patients to community organizations for financial assistance, coping skills, support groups and services.

The Registered Dietitian (RD) will identify patients who are at high risk for eating problems that could result in significant weight loss or malnutrition. An RD helps patients maintain their nutritional intake, weight, strength and quality of life during cancer treatment. An RD can also help with nutritional supplements, diet education and tube feeding.

Our financial counselors can answer questions about co-payments and health insurance coverage, including Medicare and Medicaid. The entire cancer care team is here to provide support for issues that affect you and your family during cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery.