Dementia and radiotherapy

Why I chose this topic. As part of a patient-centred care module in my final year studying radiotherapy and oncology, I was tasked with understanding the needs of different patient groups we might encounter in the healthcare environment. During this module, I was able to gain insight into many patient groups, allowing me to appreciate the challenges they might experience throughout their treatment. I chose to focus my research on patients with dementia as a consequence of a previous placement, where the challenges faced by this patient group became apparent to me. Completing this essay has enabled me to find ways to help these patients and their caregivers feel at ease in the department and during their radiotherapy treatment.

Described as a complex degenerative syndrome, dementia can reduce a person’s social and occupational abilities over time, impairing their reasoning and language function and altering their...