What Radiation Therapists Do

Radiation therapists treat cancer and other diseases in patients by giving radiation treatments.

Duties

Radiation therapists typically do the following:

• Examine machines to make sure they are safe and work properly
• Explain treatment plans to the patient and answer questions about treatment
• Follow safety procedures to protect the patient and themselves from overexposure
• X-ray the patient to determine the exact location of the area requiring treatment
• Check the computer programs to make sure that they will give the correct dose of radiation to the correct area of the patient's body
• Operate the equipment to treat the patient with radiation
• Monitor the patient to check for unusual reactions to the treatment
• Keep detailed records of treatment

Most radiation therapy uses machines called linear accelerators. These machines direct high-energy x rays at specific cancer cells in a patient's body, shrinking or removing them. 

Radiation therapists are part of the oncology team that treats patients with cancer. They often work with the following specialists:

• Radiation oncologists, physicians who specialize in radiation therapy
• Oncology nurses, nurses who specialize in patients with cancer
• Radiation physicists, physicists who calibrate linear accelerators
• Dosimetrists, workers who calculate the correct dose of radiation to use in the treatment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition