How you prepare

Before you undergo external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer, your health care team guides you through a planning process to ensure that radiation reaches the precise spot in your body where it's needed.

Planning typically includes:

• Radiation simulation. During simulation, your radiation therapy team works with you to find a comfortable position for you during treatment. It's crucial that you lie still during radiation treatment, so finding a comfortable position is vital.

  Customized immobilization devices are used to help you hold still in the right position. Your radiation therapy team will make marks on your body to be used for setup during your radiation therapy sessions.

• Planning scans. Your radiation therapy team may perform computerized tomography (CT) scans to determine the exact area of your body to be treated.

After the planning process, your radiation therapy team decides what type of radiation and what dose you'll receive based on your stage of cancer, your general health and the goals for your treatment.