Radiation Therapy Unit

We are in charge of planning the entire radiation therapy process for cancer patients; we perform pre-treatment examinations and carry out the radiation therapy and the possible related cancer pharmacotherapy. Radiation therapy may be provided either externally or internally. We treat both adult and child patients.

Half of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy at some point of their disease. Our largest patient groups are those suffering from prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, head and neck area cancer, stomach and intestinal cancer as well as from malignant brain tumours.

We plan and implement radiation therapy for each patient individually. Often, radiation therapy is combined with simultaneously administered cancer pharmacotherapy.

Radiation therapy is typically repetitive, so-called serial treatment. Typically, the patient’s treatment involves treatment of several weeks and the number of treatment sessions may total, for example, 20. Symptom-relieving treatment can be administered in one treatment session.

The course of treatment at the outpatient clinic

The majority of patients come for radiation therapy either from the oncology outpatient clinic or ward. Some of the patients are sent to the radiation therapy unit from other hospitals or different units of Tays.

One treatment session lasts approximately 20 minutes of which the actual radiation process takes only a few minutes. At least 45 minutes must be reserved for a child’s treatment under general anaesthesia. The administration of radiation cannot be actually felt.

The majority of radiation therapy is outpatient treatment, but some patients stay at the ward for the duration of the therapy. If the patient has to travel a great distance, he/she may also stay at the Patient Hotel.

The treatment may continue at the cancer outpatient clinic or at the ward. If the patient’s the treatment continues elsewhere, for example at the health centre, another hospital or some other outpatient treatment unit, we send the instructions for further treatment there.

Facilities of the unit

The radiation therapy unit is situated in the Radius building in the grounds of Tays Central Hospital. The facilities are spacious and bright.

We have six radiation therapy devices and equipment for providing internal radiation therapy that are available for use on weekdays between 7.30 am and 9 pm. A small pharmacotherapy unit also operates at the ward where chemoradiation therapy is provided.

Persons in charge

Deputy chief physician Skyttä Tanja
Ward manager Jaana Ketola-Hautamäki