Carrying out the treatment
About twelve patients a day are radiated in PARTICLE, each for a session of thirty minutes to an hour. The team of radiotherapy technologists ensures the smooth running of those sessions. "For us, a session starts with getting everything ready, including the table of the radiation device. The preparation is done based on the descriptions we got from the CT-simulation. We get the patient from the waiting room, install them on the table and take a few control photos. If our photos indicate that everything is correct, we set up the device for the first beam and the treatment begins. We repeat the process if necessary: based on the radiation plan, we move the patient to administer the different beams correctly. Finally, we help the patient down from the table and back to the waiting room."
Young patients
"The ages of our patients differ enormously. Teenagers and adults come here for treatment, but so do many small children. Our youngest patient was just under a year old. So we try to pay extra attention to children, in particular with some fun activities. For instance, the children can choose different lights to be on in the radiation room, they can put on music, and they get a sticker for their sticker card after each session. If that card is full, they get a present. We also always take time to have a chat with them."
With children, we really take our time to chat with them: how are they doing, what did they do over the weekend, and so on.
Because Loreen is so close to the patients, she also gets a lot back from them. "We once had a patient who started crying at the end of her treatment. "I don't want it to be over!" she said (laughs) So despite the radiotherapy, she really liked it here. That's why we do it."