Who is primarily responsible for acquiring patient data in radiation therapy?

The primary responsibility for acquiring patient data in radiation therapy lies with the radiation oncologist. The radiation oncologist is responsible for evaluating the patient’s condition, making treatment decisions, and ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the patient’s medical history and clinical information. They perform the necessary assessments and gather pertinent data that will inform the entire treatment plan. This includes imaging studies, laboratory results, and clinical findings that are critical for developing the radiation therapy regimen and determining the appropriate doses.

While other team members such as medical physicists, radiation therapists, and dosimetrists play essential roles in the treatment process — such as planning, delivering therapy, and ensuring the accuracy of radiation delivery — it is the radiation oncologist who ultimately directs the course of treatment and is accountable for the initial patient data acquisition. This collaboration among the team ensures efficient and safe treatment; however, the oncologist's role in diagnosing and formulating the treatment plan based on the acquired clinical data is foundational in the process.