Who's who: Radiation oncologist

In the next three steps, we will be meeting some of the key healthcare professionals involved in radiation therapy treatment; a radiation oncologist (Sandra Turner), a radiation therapist (RTT) (Martijn Kamphuis), and a radiation therapy nurse (Sheelagh Ryan). We will be asking them about their job, and how they work with patients and other members of the radiation therapy team.

One of the first people you will meet, if you have radiation therapy treatment, is a radiation oncologist. In this video, we hear from Sandra Turner, a radiation oncologist from Australia with over 20 years experience.

What does a radiation oncologist do?

Radiation oncologists like Sandra work with the multidisciplinary team to:

• Assess whether radiation therapy is appropriate for a patient
• Support patients and their families throughout radiation therapy planning and treatment
• Follow up with patients after treatment
• Give advice on any side effects