During and after treatment, you will see a range of health professionals who specialise in different aspects of your cancer care. The main specialist doctor for radiation therapy is a radiation oncologist. You may be referred to a radiation oncologist by your general practitioner (GP) or by another specialist such as a surgeon or medical oncologist.
Treatment options will often be discussed with other health professionals at what is known as a multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting. You may also see some allied health professionals to help you manage any treatment side effects.
To find cancer specialists, multidisciplinary teams and hospitals in NSW or ACT, you can visit the NSW Government website CanRefer.
Health professionals you may see
| radiation oncologist* | treats cancer by prescribing and overseeing a course of radiation therapy |
| radiation therapist | plans and delivers radiation therapy |
| radiation oncology nurse | provides care, information and support for managing side effects and other issues throughout radiation therapy |
| medical physicist | ensures treatment machines are working accurately and safely; oversees safe delivery of radionuclide therapy; monitors radiation levels |
| medical oncologist* | treats cancer with drug therapies such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy (systemic treatment) |
| surgeon* | surgically removes tumours and performs some biopsies |
| dietitian | helps with nutrition concerns and recommends changes to diet during treatment and recovery |
| speech pathologist | helps with communication and swallowing difficulties during treatment and recovery |
| social worker | links you to support services and helps you with emotional, practical and financial issues |
| psychologist/counsellor | help you manage your emotional response to diagnosis and treatment |
| occupational therapist | assists in adapting your living and working environment to help you resume usual activities after treatment |
| physiotherapist, exercise physiologist | help restore movement and mobility after treatment, and improve fitness and wellbeing |
| lymphoedema practitioner | educates people about lymphoedema prevention and management, and provides treatment if lymphoedema occurs |
Key resource
Download a PDF booklet on this topic.
More resources
Prof June Corry, Radiation Oncologist, GenesisCare, St Vincent’s Hospital, VIC; Prof Bryan Burmeister, Senior Radiation Oncologist, GenesisCare Fraser Coast, Hervey Bay Hospital, and The University of Queensland, QLD; Sandra Donaldson, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Jane Freeman, Accredited Practising Dietitian (Cancer specialist), Canutrition, NSW; Sinead Hanley, Consumer; David Jolly, Senior Medical Physicist, Icon Cancer Centre Richmond, VIC; Christine Kitto, Consumer; A/Prof Grace Kong, Nuclear Medicine Physician, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; A/Prof Sasha Senthi, Radiation Oncologist, The Alfred Hospital and Monash University, VIC; John Spurr, Consumer; Chris Twyford, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Radiation Oncology, Cancer Rapid Assessment Unit and Outpatients, Canberra Hospital, ACT; Gabrielle Vigar, Nurse Unit Manager, Radiation Oncology/Cancer Outpatients, Cancer Program, Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA.
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