Average Salaries and Career Outlook

Employment of Radiation Therapy Technologists RT (T) is projected to grow by 27 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. About 73 percent worked in hospitals, and about 17 percent worked in offices of physicians. A small proportion worked in outpatient care centers. Median annual wages of radiation therapists were $72,910 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $59,050 and $87,910. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $47,910, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $104,350 (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

A Day in the Life as a Radiation Therapy Technologist

The Radiation Therapy Technologist RT (T) is the professional who actually gives the treatment. Radiation Therapy Technologists are specially trained to understand the operation of the treatment machine. The RT (T) treats your child daily, and notifies the Radiation Therapist or nurse if there is a problem. Before the doctor gives the radiation treatment plan, the RT (T) usually takes a CT to scan the area that will be targeted. Once the treatment plan has been set, the RT (T) will carry out the oncologists’ orders and perform the radiation therapy.


Much like a Radiographic Technologist, the Radiation Therapy Tech will set the technical factors on the radiation machine and position the patient on a table. It is extremely important that the RT (T) takes good notes and really pays attention to the patient and his or her parents. The Tech is the oncologists’ eyes and must communicate well with the patient’s team members. The treatments typically take longer than getting a radiographic image or even a CT. The patient preparation and positioning is very important because extremely high-energy x-rays are going to be targeting a specific area on the body and the therapist wants to limit the area of exposure as much as possible.

The Radiation Therapy Tech uses a linear accelerator for the treatment. To begin, the tech positions the patient and adjusts the linear accelerator according to the guidelines established in simulation. Then, from a separate room that is protected from the x-ray radiation, the therapist operates the linear accelerator and monitors the patient's condition through a TV monitor and an intercom system. Treatment can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes and is usually administered once a day, 5 days a week, for 2 to 9 weeks. Because of the extensive treatments – duration and reoccurrence – a relationship is developed with the patient and his or her family. It takes a strong individual to be a successful Radiation Therapy Tech because they have to deal with death often and major side effects on a daily basis. It is very important to maintain a positive attitude and always encourage the patient because he or she is under a lot of stress.

Radiation Therapy Technologists work in hospitals and in cancer treatment centers. They typically work 40-hours a week and only during the day (8am – 6pm). Like I said earlier, it can be a very stressful job because of the side effects and sometimes death. However, it can also be very rewarding to know that you have played a role in saving someone’s life is a special feeling.

Academic Progams - How to become a Certified Radiation Therapy Technologist

There are many options when considering education and becoming a Registered Radiation Therapy Technologist RT (T): Certificate, Associate’s degree, or Bachelor’s degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2010-2011, a certificate, associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree is “generally” required to become a Radiation Therapy Tech. I put generally in quotations because some states do not require Radiologic Technologists to be licensed, so RT (T)'s can be trained on the job as well. “In 2009, 33 States required radiation therapy tech's to be licensed by a State accrediting board. Licensing requirements vary by State, but many States require applicants to pass the ARRT certification examination” (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Since I am in a Radiologic Technology program, I am going to focus on furthering education and becoming certified after complete of the RT program. Once a Radiologic Technologist has passed the ARRT (American Registry of Radiologic Technologists) exam, he or she can apply to an accredited Radiation Therapy program. The certificate program is 12-months in duration and concludes with the passing of the ARRT exam for Radiation Therapy. Most programs include courses in patient care, dosimetry calculations, fabrication of beam modification devices, low-volume high-risk procedures, and the application of radiation.

In 2009, there were 102 accredited radiation therapy programs in the U.S (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Accredited Radiation Therapy programs are listed on the JRCERT website at http://www.jrcert.org/cert/results.jsp.

Intro to Radiation Therapy - What is it?

First off, it is important to understand what Radiation Therapy is, how it is used and what affect it has on the body. Radiation Therapy is a treatment for cancer; it can be used by itself or in combination with chemotherapy or surgery. It is defined by WebMD.com as “The use of high-energy rays to damage cancer cells, stopping them from growing and dividing.” It is a localized treatment that only affects the area of the body treated by killing the cancer cells.

http://www.ehow.com/way_5325720_radiation-burn-treatments.html

Facts About Radiation Therapy (ehealthmd.com)

•         About 60 percent of all cancer patients will require radiation therapy as part of their care.

•         Radiation therapy can be used to help cure cancer or to relieve symptoms alone or in combination with other therapies, such as surgery or chemotherapy.

•         Most patients who need radiation will have treatments four or five days a week for five to seven weeks.

•         Most people receive radiation for one to five minutes per treatment.

Although physicians and therapy techs strive to limit the radiation dose to the patient to make the treatment as safe and effective as possible, there are still major side effects to radiation therapy. Some common side effects are:

•         Fatigue

•         Nausea/vomiting

•         Hair loss

•         Low blood counts

•         Skin problems

•         Loss of appetite