Liver and pancreas SBRT
Your doctor has decided to treat your liver or pancreas tumour with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).
What is SBRT?
SBRT is a type of radiation therapy treatment that gives a high dose of radiation in a small number of treatments, usually in five sessions or less.
Your doctor will talk with you about your treatment, including possible side effects. You will be asked to sign a consent form for treatment, which the doctor will go over with you. You may also be given a prescription for medication that you must take one hour before each treatment.
Please talk to your treatment team about your medications before each appointment.
What happens next?
Once you have decided to go ahead with liver or pancreas SBRT, the first step in the process is planning, also known as simulation. Your planning appointment may take up to two hours. You will be given instructions for stomach filling for both planning and treatment. It is important to try to have the same amount of food in your stomach for every radiation therapy appointment.
Radiation planning is in the basement of the Odette Cancer Centre T Wing, across from the north elevators in room TB100 (green circle on the map).
What happens in planning?
For planning, a team of radiation therapists will give you a CT scan in the same position that you will be in for treatment. This CT scan is used to make your treatment plan. You may be given dye for your CT scan. You may also be given a drink to help outline your stomach.
You will lie on your back with your arms over your head. You will be placed in a position using equipment that will help you keep very still. This equipment will put pressure on your stomach to help control your breathing (see pictures below). It is important that you breathe normally during the CT and stay as still as possible.
The length of your treatment will be much longer than the CT scan. Please let us know if you are not comfortable so we can help find you a position that you can stay still in.
To make sure you are in the same position for every treatment, the radiation therapists will make tattoos on your skin that will last forever. These are small tattoos, the size of a mole or freckle, that are made with a needle.
Treatment appointments
You will get the appointment times for your treatments at the end of your planning appointment. Liver and pancreas SBRT is given in three or five treatments every other weekday. For example, you might come for treatment on Monday, Wednesday, Friday; or Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Monday, Wednesday. We may not be able to schedule your treatments at the time that you ask for, as we have many patients that need to be booked in for treatment.
What happens during treatment?
On your first day of treatment, please check in at the radiation reception on the ground floor of T Wing in the Odette Cancer Centre (blue circle on the map). A team of radiation therapists will give you your SBRT treatment.
You will be asked to change into a gown so that the radiation therapists can see the tattoos on your skin. Once you are in the right position, the treatment machine (see picture below) will move around you to take a picture. The machine may come close to your body, but will never touch you. This picture makes sure that you are in the right position for treatment.
How long do treatments take?
Your treatment will last about 30 minutes. It is important that you stay still and breathe normally. You will not see or feel anything while the radiation is on. Your team of radiation therapists can see and hear you at all times.
Most patients are able to drive themselves to and from treatment. You will be at the cancer centre about 60-90 minutes for each treatment. A member of your SBRT treatment team will see you at least once during your treatment to see how you feel and to arrange follow-up.
Possible side-effects
Side effects may differ from person to person based on their general health and the area of the body that is being treated. Many people have no side effects during or after treatment.
Possible side effects during treatment include:
- Fatigue or tiredness (most common)
- Stomach pain or heartburn
- Nausea or upset stomach (your doctor may prescribe you medication to prevent this
- Diarrhea
It can take 4-6 weeks after your treatment is finished to recover from treatment-related side effects.
Resources
Patient and Family Support Program
Odette Cancer Centre, Room TG-230
416-480-6100 ext. 64623
Patient education
Information, videos, books, websites and other help can be found:
- Online: Patient and Family Education
- In-person: Patient Education and Research Learning Centre (PEARL) on the first floor of the Odette Cancer Centre.
You can contact PEARL at 416-480-4534 or patienteducation@sunnybrook.ca
Cancer Care Ontario: How to manage your symptoms guides
» Symptom guides for managing fatigue, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
Contact information
Darby Erler MRT(T), MHSc
Clinical Specialist Radiation Therapist SBRT
416-480-6100 ext. 67844
darby.erler@sunnybrook.ca
GI Nursing Line
416-480-6100 ext. 681061
