 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | We've also had patients here irradiated for the wrong cancer because the previous patient didn't show up and the techs didn't change the program. There is usually a computer monitor in the treatment room - insure that YOUR NAME is on the screen.
My CCC gave me a three week (mid Tx) CT to measure progress and make tweaks in the programming (which is normal for IMRT but I am not sure with XRT).
They normally take a weekly x-ray on the LINAC itself for alignment checks.
Some centers run prople through these machines like cattle. I have heard of some machines in use 14 hrs a day.
You have to look out for yourself all of the time.
Hospitals have been required by law for some time to verify by multiple different methods the patient identification and treatment. If they screw up and irradiate the wrong area it is considered a "patient injury" reportable event (to the FDA) through the MDR "Medical Device Report" law.
Gary Allsebrook
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Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2
Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy)
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"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
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