Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is a common way to treat cancer. It’s also called radiotherapy. This treatment uses a controlled dose of radiation to destroy cancer cells. It only works in the specific part of your body where the cancer is.

Doctors use radiation therapy to target and try to destroy cancer because your body cannot “fix” cancer by itself. Radiation therapy may help to:

• cure the cancer
• shrink or stop the cancer from getting bigger
• control the spread of the cancer
• stop pain and other problems caused by the cancer.

It’s important to go to all of your radiation therapy sessions. If you need help getting to appointments, tell your doctor, Aboriginal Health Service or Worker or call Cancer Council on 13 11 20.

There are 2 types of radiation therapy that may be used, depending on the type of cancer you have. These are:

• External beam radiation – Doctors use a machine to target the cancer from outside your body (see picture). You lie still on a table. The machine will move around your body and stop at different times to send strong x-rays into the exact spot where the cancer is. You can’t see or feel the x-rays and you will not be radioactive afterwards.
• Internal radiation – Doctors put small radioactive implants (like seeds or wires) inside your body, close to the cancer. This means the radiation tries to destroy the cancer, but doesn’t harm healthy parts of your body. You might need to have a small operation for this.

You will have radiation therapy at a treatment centre or a hospital. You will see a radiation doctor (called a radiation oncologist) and a radiation therapist (the health professional who operates the machine). They will work together to give you the radiation therapy in a safe way and reduce side effects.

External beam radiation therapy is usually given Monday to Friday for a certain time. Your treatment team will talk to you about how many sessions you need.

A radiation therapy session usually takes about 30 minutes. You don’t have to stay in hospital overnight but you may have to come back every day until your treatment is finished.

Radiation therapy needs to be strong to destroy the cancer. Sometimes it affects how you look and feel during the treatment. Your doctor will tell you what side effects you may have. Most side effects get better in 4 to 6 weeks.

You may feel very tired (fatigue), have dry, red or itchy skin and/or lose hair on the part of the body where radiation is given. Other side effects will depend on where the radiation is given.