Instructions on use of this template: This PowerPoint was created by child life specialists on the Professional Resources Committee as a resource for your use. It may be used to educate team members and students in your practice. You may use it “as is,” or you may customize it by adding graphics or photos, selecting only a subset of slides, or integrating some of the slides into your own presentation, as appropriate for your audience. Please be sure to read over the comments listed at the bottom of each slide to know how to customize this for your institution. Please include the next slide (slide 2) in your presentation, either at the beginning, or end. Please remove this slide (slide 1) prior to use.

Our Thanks to: The Professional Resources Committee of the Child Life Council, who provided a template to help in the creation of this presentation for our audience.

All about Radiation Oncology How to get there… Insert directions to Radiation Oncology department here if applicable to your hospital

Why do I need to have radiation? What is Radiation ? ? Radiation therapy is one of the ways that doctors can treat cancer. Radiation is like a special kind of X-ray that can destroy cancer cells. A special machine is needed to give radiation, and that machine helps doctors aim the invisible beam of radiation right where it needs to be to destroy the cancer cells in your body. Sometimes radiation therapy is needed with chemotherapy to destroy cancer cells. Think of chemotherapy and radiation as a super duo, who can fight the cancer cells in your body together!!

Before your radiation treatment begins you will go for simulation. It may seem like simulation takes a while, but your radiation treatments will be much shorter than your simulation day. Simulation is important because each time you come for radiation treatment, the radiation machine will be ready for you! First things first... Simulation Day

What is Simulation? Simulation is when the radiation doctors and nurses learn how to set up the radiation machine just for you using a CT machine. You will have a CT scan, which is a machine that will take pictures of your body to know exactly where the radiation is needed. You may have seen a CT machine before. It is a donut shaped machine, with a bed that moves in and out of the donut shape. The radiation doctors and nurses may draw some dots with ink on the area of your body where you will get radiation treatment, so they know exactly where to aim the invisible beam of radiation.

Mask Making You will learn that one of the most important parts of radiation treatments is to lie very still. To help you do that, a plastic mask is made to fit your face perfectly to hold your head in place during radiation treatments. Even if you are sleeping during radiation, the mask helps hold your head in the right position for radiation treatment. The mask material turns from hard plastic, like in the first picture, to wet bendable plastic and back to hard plastic, but in the shape of your face! Your mask will be made on simulation day.

How the mask is made... Step 1 You will need to lie down on a flat surface. This may be the CT machine bed. Step 2 The flat, wet plastic will be laid over your face. It will be wet and feel a little warm, like a warm washcloth. Step 3 The wet plastic will become hard and shape to your face in under one minute. You will be able to see and breathe through the mask. The mask will be removed from your face when it turns back to hard plastic in the shape of your face. It will now be ready to use for your radiation treatments. It will be important to lay still during mask making. What will help you lay still? Some kids like to hold a stuffed animal or squeeze someone’s hand!

Radiation Treatments One of your jobs during radiation treatment is to lie still on the bed. The bed and the radiation machine are the only things that move. The radiation machine never touches you, it only moves around your body. You have to be alone in the room when getting your treatment, but the radiation technicians can always see and hear you! You may hear clicking or whirling sounds, those are all normal. You may see flashes of light or smell a burning smell. Those are all normal things, too. Depending on the kind of radiation you need and if you will be sleeping for your treatment, radiation treatment appointments may be as short as 10 minutes or as long as 1 hour.

Before Radiation begins… It is important to think about what will help you be most successful during the radiation treatments before treatment begins. Some kids say laying still during treatments is difficult. What will help you lie still? Sometimes silent counting until treatment is over or closing your eyes can help. Some kids say being alone in the room during radiation treatments can be boring, some say they felt a little scared, and some say they like having the treatment room all to themselves. What could you do or think about during that time to help get you through your treatment? Maybe thinking about your favorite place or activity can help keep you calm. Afterwards, you can tell me how you felt.

Do you have any questions?

Optional photos. Optional photo #1 Optional photo #2