Radiation Therapist

In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.

The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:

• 2006 NOC: Radiation Therapists (3215.3) 
• 2006 NOC-S: Medical Radiation Technologists (D215) 
• 2011 NOC: Medical radiation technologists (3215) 

Radiation damages and destroys cancer cells. Radiation treatments may be external (using radiation-emitting equipment such as linear accelerators), or internal (placing radioactive material into body cavities or tissue).

Radiation therapists work closely with other health care providers (such as radiation oncologists, medical physicists, nurses, dieticians, physical therapists, and occupational therapists). In general, radiation therapists:

• use complex technical equipment and treatment units
• plan the physical and technical aspects of radiation treatments
• deliver internal and external radiation therapy to patients
• construct patient positioning aides and individual treatment devices
• educate patients, families, and significant others about treatments (such as side effects, on-site care, dietary requirements, and available support programs)
• support and care for patients during treatment sessions
• provide follow-up care
• assess patient reactions to treatments
• calculate actual treatment doses for each session.

Work schedules vary. They may include weekday or weekend hours, evenings, or on-call shifts. Radiation therapists may spend long periods of time standing or walking. They have to help lift and move patients. They often handle materials weighing up to 10 kilograms.

Radiation therapists need to possess:

• good physical health
• a sense of responsibility and a high degree of integrity
• patience, empathy, and compassion for people of all ages and backgrounds
• an understanding of cancer patients’ special needs
• speaking and listening skills
• the ability to put people at ease
• an interest in science and technology
• an interest in keeping their related skills and knowledge up to date
• the ability to be highly accurate in their duties
• the ability to be well organized
• the ability to think critically and solve problems
• the ability to work well in a multidisciplinary team setting.

They should enjoy:

• using equipment to perform precise tasks
• having procedures and standards for their work
• pulling information together
• working with the public.

In Alberta, radiation therapists work for Alberta Health Services - Cancer Control Alberta. They work at the following facilities:

• Central Alberta Cancer Centre in Red Deer
• Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton
• Jack Ady Cancer Centre in Lethbridge
• Tom Baker Centre in Calgary
• University of Alberta (educational program)

In Canada, about 44 cancer care facilities offer radiation therapy.

With time on the job, radiation therapists may advance to senior therapist roles. With further education and time, they may move into management, teaching, or advanced practice.

Radiation therapists are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 3215: Medical radiation technologists. In Alberta, 94% of people employed in this classification work in the Health Care and Social Assistance [pdf] industry.

The employment outlook [pdf] in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• trends and events that affect overall employment (especially in the Health Care and Social Assistance industry)
• location in Alberta
• employment turnover (work opportunities that come up when people leave existing positions)
• occupational growth (work opportunities that come up when new positions are created)
• size of the occupation.

In Alberta, the D215: Medical Radiation Technologists occupational group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 3.9% from 2016 to 2020. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 94 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.

Alberta College of Medical Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technologists (ACMDTT) website: www.acmdtt.com

Alberta Health Services - CancerControl Alberta website: www.albertahealthservices.ca

Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists website: www.camrt.ca

Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) website: www.hsaa.ca

For more information on career planning, education and jobs call the Alberta Supports Contact Centre toll-free at 1-877-644-9992 or 780-644-9992 in Edmonton, or visit an Alberta Supports Centre near you.