ASRT Seal Exams UPDATED ACTUAL
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Identifying with the feelings, thoughts, or experiences of another person. - CORRECT
ANSWER - Empathy
Under the new standards (NCRP Report No. 91), an effective dose equivalent limit of ____
rem/year for occupational exposure is recommended. - CORRECT ANSWER - The NCRP
report states the 5 rem/year is the acceptable limit for occupational exposure.
Radiation therapy is the first line of treatment for which of the following cancers? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Radiation therapy is typically the first line of treatment for head and neck
cancers, unless the disease is too advanced and surgery may be advised. Breast cancer patients
typically undergo surgical excision as the first treatment, and lymphomas and leukemias are
generally treated with chemotherapy.
Xerostomia occurs after ______ cGy resulting in significant long-term effects. - CORRECT
ANSWER - 1,000 cGy
For a member of the general public, the maximum exposure of radiation should not exceed
_____? - CORRECT ANSWER - For a member of the general public, maximum exposure
should not exceed 100 mrem in one year's time. For those who work with radiation, the
maximum dose limits for adults increases significantly as follows: 5,000 mrem per year for full
body dose, 15,000 mrem per year for lens of the eye exposure and 50,000 mrem per year for
extremities. For an undeclared pregnant radiation worker the maximum dose exposure remains
5,000 mrem per year but, once declared the maximum dose exposure drops to 500 mrem over the
time period of pregnancy.
In the CT scanner, movable lasers are used to do which of the following? Please select all that
apply. - CORRECT ANSWER - Movable lasers are used in the CT simulation room and
communicate with virtual simulation and/or treatment planning systems. While the most
common use of these systems is to provide coordinates for the isocenter of the patient's treatment
plan, some systems can project field size, blocks, and multileaf collimation onto the patient's
skin. If moveable lasers are used in the CT simulation, radiation therapists should complete daily
quality assurance on the system.
,Halfway through treatment , the radiation therapist notices that the table angle has drifted out of
tolerance by 5 degrees. What should the radiation therapist do? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Stop the treatment and get the patient off the table while you notify the doctor
The treatment planning volume which encompasses suspected positive lymph node chains is the:
- CORRECT ANSWER - CTV
The GTV, or gross target volume, encompasses disease which can be seen on imaging or can be
palpated. The PTV, or planning target volume, includes a margin on the CTV to compensate for
set-up uncertainties. The PTV margin has decreased with the addition of Image-guided radiation
therapy (IGRT). Irradiated volume is anything that receives substantial dose.
Which of the following is an indication to screen patients for lung cancer with low dose CT
scans? - CORRECT ANSWER - Low dose CT screening can decrease the mortality of
patients who are at high risk for developing the disease. High risk patients are those between the
ages of 55-75 years old, have at least a 30 pack year smoking history, and are current smokers or
have quit within the past 15 years.
A formal_________ is a written legally valid document that indicates a patient's decisions about
future medical treatment. - CORRECT ANSWER - Advanced directive
This is recognized as a legal document and can be a living will or a durable power of attorney for
health care or other statement signed by the patient.
Prone breast irradiation information: - CORRECT ANSWER - Ideal technique for large
breasted patients with a left-sided breast cancer
Stages of grief including denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance were introduced
by: - CORRECT ANSWER - Kubler-Ross
, Maslow provided insight for basic needs for all people. Kinsey developed a scale which includes
six parameters or sexual tendencies within the population. Karnofsky is associated with the
performance scale with ranges from 0 to 100%.
MV port film image quality is low due to: - CORRECT ANSWER - Increased scatter
Compton scatter is greater with MV beams than kV beams, thereby reducing contrast and image
quality.
When interacting with mature adults over the age of 65, radiation therapists should remember: -
CORRECT ANSWER - Research shows that most mature adults consider themselves
middle aged, are well educated and are health savvy due to access to technology and media. In
addition, only about 10% of these mature adults demonstrate any signs of memory loss.
A cancerous tumor of the glandular tissue would likely be classified as a: - CORRECT
ANSWER - Adenocarcinoma
Carcinomas originate from epithelial tissue. Adenocarcinomas originate from glandular
epithelium, common in tumors of the prostate, stomach, colon, and pancreas.
The CT, or Hounsfield, number for fat is: - CORRECT ANSWER - -100
CT, or Hounsfield, numbers represent the attenuation rates of certain tissues and their
corresponding shades of gray. Soft tissue ranges from -200 and 200, with fat at -100, water at 0
and muscle at 50, displayed in varying levels of gray.
When would a wedge be used in a treatment field? - CORRECT ANSWER - Wedges can
be used to compensate for missing tissue. The heel of the wedge is placed towards the missing
tissue. Wedges are also used to correct dose nonuniformity.
When treating with multiple fields, what is true regarding beam weighing? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Beam weighing can be used whenever multiple beams are used. Weighting of
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Identifying with the feelings, thoughts, or experiences of another person. - CORRECT
ANSWER - Empathy
Under the new standards (NCRP Report No. 91), an effective dose equivalent limit of ____
rem/year for occupational exposure is recommended. - CORRECT ANSWER - The NCRP
report states the 5 rem/year is the acceptable limit for occupational exposure.
Radiation therapy is the first line of treatment for which of the following cancers? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Radiation therapy is typically the first line of treatment for head and neck
cancers, unless the disease is too advanced and surgery may be advised. Breast cancer patients
typically undergo surgical excision as the first treatment, and lymphomas and leukemias are
generally treated with chemotherapy.
Xerostomia occurs after ______ cGy resulting in significant long-term effects. - CORRECT
ANSWER - 1,000 cGy
For a member of the general public, the maximum exposure of radiation should not exceed
_____? - CORRECT ANSWER - For a member of the general public, maximum exposure
should not exceed 100 mrem in one year's time. For those who work with radiation, the
maximum dose limits for adults increases significantly as follows: 5,000 mrem per year for full
body dose, 15,000 mrem per year for lens of the eye exposure and 50,000 mrem per year for
extremities. For an undeclared pregnant radiation worker the maximum dose exposure remains
5,000 mrem per year but, once declared the maximum dose exposure drops to 500 mrem over the
time period of pregnancy.
In the CT scanner, movable lasers are used to do which of the following? Please select all that
apply. - CORRECT ANSWER - Movable lasers are used in the CT simulation room and
communicate with virtual simulation and/or treatment planning systems. While the most
common use of these systems is to provide coordinates for the isocenter of the patient's treatment
plan, some systems can project field size, blocks, and multileaf collimation onto the patient's
skin. If moveable lasers are used in the CT simulation, radiation therapists should complete daily
quality assurance on the system.
,Halfway through treatment , the radiation therapist notices that the table angle has drifted out of
tolerance by 5 degrees. What should the radiation therapist do? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Stop the treatment and get the patient off the table while you notify the doctor
The treatment planning volume which encompasses suspected positive lymph node chains is the:
- CORRECT ANSWER - CTV
The GTV, or gross target volume, encompasses disease which can be seen on imaging or can be
palpated. The PTV, or planning target volume, includes a margin on the CTV to compensate for
set-up uncertainties. The PTV margin has decreased with the addition of Image-guided radiation
therapy (IGRT). Irradiated volume is anything that receives substantial dose.
Which of the following is an indication to screen patients for lung cancer with low dose CT
scans? - CORRECT ANSWER - Low dose CT screening can decrease the mortality of
patients who are at high risk for developing the disease. High risk patients are those between the
ages of 55-75 years old, have at least a 30 pack year smoking history, and are current smokers or
have quit within the past 15 years.
A formal_________ is a written legally valid document that indicates a patient's decisions about
future medical treatment. - CORRECT ANSWER - Advanced directive
This is recognized as a legal document and can be a living will or a durable power of attorney for
health care or other statement signed by the patient.
Prone breast irradiation information: - CORRECT ANSWER - Ideal technique for large
breasted patients with a left-sided breast cancer
Stages of grief including denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance were introduced
by: - CORRECT ANSWER - Kubler-Ross
, Maslow provided insight for basic needs for all people. Kinsey developed a scale which includes
six parameters or sexual tendencies within the population. Karnofsky is associated with the
performance scale with ranges from 0 to 100%.
MV port film image quality is low due to: - CORRECT ANSWER - Increased scatter
Compton scatter is greater with MV beams than kV beams, thereby reducing contrast and image
quality.
When interacting with mature adults over the age of 65, radiation therapists should remember: -
CORRECT ANSWER - Research shows that most mature adults consider themselves
middle aged, are well educated and are health savvy due to access to technology and media. In
addition, only about 10% of these mature adults demonstrate any signs of memory loss.
A cancerous tumor of the glandular tissue would likely be classified as a: - CORRECT
ANSWER - Adenocarcinoma
Carcinomas originate from epithelial tissue. Adenocarcinomas originate from glandular
epithelium, common in tumors of the prostate, stomach, colon, and pancreas.
The CT, or Hounsfield, number for fat is: - CORRECT ANSWER - -100
CT, or Hounsfield, numbers represent the attenuation rates of certain tissues and their
corresponding shades of gray. Soft tissue ranges from -200 and 200, with fat at -100, water at 0
and muscle at 50, displayed in varying levels of gray.
When would a wedge be used in a treatment field? - CORRECT ANSWER - Wedges can
be used to compensate for missing tissue. The heel of the wedge is placed towards the missing
tissue. Wedges are also used to correct dose nonuniformity.
When treating with multiple fields, what is true regarding beam weighing? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Beam weighing can be used whenever multiple beams are used. Weighting of
