With the precision afforded by today’s radiation therapy delivery systems, treatment planning software that helps direct the process must keep pace. The treatment planning system provides a 3-D view of the tumor that facilitates decisions about treatment options and helps the clinical team develop the best possible plan. They are a means to achieving the end goal for the patient — perfectly targeted, appropriate dose.

A potential paradigm shift is gathering momentum in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer, driven by data showing strong clinical outcomes for the use of more sophisticated therapies. Newer therapies using accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI, also referred to as breast brachytherapy) not only allow women to remain whole, they also offer properly selected patients several advantages over traditional whole breast irradiation (WBI).

As radiation therapy treatments evolve, radiation therapists are assuming more responsibilities. Their core duties still include serving as the primary contact for patients undergoing radiation therapy treatments that can last several weeks and administering the actual treatments. However, therapists also must review protocols, monitor and assess patients and stay up-to-date on technological advances in equipment. The necessity to balance duties in their “high-tech/high-touch” profession makes radiation therapists a unique breed in the radiologic sciences.

There seems to be a general sense of delayed reaction within the healthcare arena when it comes to preparation for California’s Senate Bill (SB) 1237 and Assembly Bill (AB) 510 and other pending legislation that adopts regulations regarding the capture and reporting of radiation dosing. The looming threat of violating California law with the potential for fine implications has begun to sink in, yet the bigger picture seems to be lost in translation.