Deck 24: Radiation Therapy

Question 1

When a radiation therapist performs daily measurements of x-ray beam energy output and they do not meet quality standards, a _____ is contacted to perform further diagnostic tests on the equipment to identify the problem.

A) Radiation oncologist
B) Radiation therapist
C) Medical physicist
D) Medical oncologist

Answer 1

Medical physicist

Question 2

Which of the following is not a duty of a radiation therapist?

A) Determining the indications for radiation therapy for a patient
B) Administering daily radiation therapy treatments for patients using a linear accelerator
C) Serving as the primary liaison between patients and the other members of the interprofessional team
D) Performing daily measurements of x-ray beam energy output and making sure they meet quality standards

Answer 2

Determining the indications for radiation therapy for a patient

Question 3

Educational programs in radiation therapy provide students with a background in all of the following, except _____.

A) Human anatomy
B) Cancer pathophysiology
C) Physics of radiation therapy
D) Biomechanics

Answer 3

Biomechanics

Question 4

During a _____, the radiation therapists use immobilization devices and help determine optimal patient positioning for radiation therapy treatments.

A) Patient evaluation
B) CT simulation
C) Radiation therapy treatment
D) Surgical procedure

Question 5

The development of the linear accelerator in the 1960s was a breakthrough for the field of radiation oncology because it _____.

A) Afforded the opportunity to treat tumors deeply seated within the body
B) Allowed treatment of superficial tumors such as those on the skin or chest wall
C) Posed no occupational exposure risk for radiation therapists
D) Produced lower-energy x-rays than earlier methods

Question 6

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment modality that uses high-energy x-rays or radioactive materials to kill cancer cells by _____.

A) Damaging their DNA
B) Increasing the efficacy of antibiotics
C) Circulating through the blood stream and selectively targeting the tumor cell
D) Activating anticancer genes in healthy cells surrounding tumors

Question 7

The agency responsible for credentialing radiation therapists is _____.

A) The American Society of Therapeutic Radiology (ASTRO)
B) The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)
C) The American Cancer Society (ACS)
D) The Commission on Cancer (CoC)

Question 8

The credentialing process for radiation therapists involves an ethics review and would require reporting of which of the following?

A) Educational honor code violations
B) Traffic citations
C) Prior exposure to infectious disease
D) Defense of a personal ethics statement

Question 9

Radiation therapists are required to undergo _____ of appropriate continuing education credits every 2 years to maintain certification.

A) 50 hours
B) 24 hours
C) 100 hours
D) 0 hours

Question 10

Students considering a radiation therapy training program should determine if a prospective program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) because _____.

A) JRCERT is the agency responsible for credentialing radiation therapists
B) Only those students completing training in a JRCERT-accredited program are eligible to take the national certificate examination
C) JRCERT is the reporting agency for continuing education credits
D) Students need to appeal to the JRCERT in the event of a dispute

Question 11

The challenges of a radiation therapy career include the _____.

A) Requirements for credentialing by multiple agencies
B) Exposure to communicable diseases, blood, body fluid, and noxious odors
C) Relatively few positions anticipated in the future
D) Hours of boredom between administering treatments

Question 12

All of the following are members of an interprofessional team with a radiation oncology department, except _____.

A) Medical oncologist
B) Radiation oncologist
C) Radiation therapist
D) Medical physicist

Question 13

Radiation therapists help ensure patient safety by _____.

A) Using their skills at interpreting radiographic images to ensure accurate tumor localization at the time of radiation therapy treatment
B) Counseling patients about the treatment options for their particular type of cancer
C) Using expertise in radiation dose calculation and distribution to develop treatment plans
D) Coordinating patient support among the hospital staff and family

Question 14

Which of the following accurately describe the current employment conditions for radiation therapists?

A) Radiation therapists have floating inconsistent schedules depending on appointments.
B) The median annual wage of a radiation therapist in 2010 was approximately $45,000.
C) A radiation therapist may work independently on a treatment machine.
D) There are opportunities for employment in hospital-based and freestanding cancer centers.

Question 15

Which of the following represents a barrier faced by radiation therapists to the delivery of safe and accurate radiation therapy treatments?

A) The pressures of maintaining a tight daily treatment schedule
B) The requirement that two radiation therapists at a time be assigned to a treatment machine
C) The ability to acquire a radiographic image before delivering a radiation treatment
D) The emotional attachments formed with clients

Question 16

The application of radioactive materials to treat tumors is called _____.

A) Brachytherapy
B) Teletherapy
C) Nuclear medicine
D) Radiology

Question 17

The aptitude profile for a prospective radiation therapist includes _____.

A) Competency in management of human resources within a radiation oncology department
B) Competency with the computer modeling of radiation dose distributions on virtual patients to develop treatment plans
C) The ability to work 8-hour shifts with more than 80% of that time being on their feet
D) Competency prescribing an appropriate pharmacological course of treatment for the patient

Question 18

Eligibility for the radiation therapy certificate examination in 2015 required a candidate to have completed a 1- or 2-year certificate program in radiation therapy.

Question 19

The machine that generates the high-energy x-rays most commonly used in treating cancer is called a linear accelerator.

Question 20

Radiation therapists are the primary liaisons between patients undergoing daily treatments and the medical staff.