What should you know about radiotherapy?

A treatment team uses scans and measurements to map the area being treated. The plan may use an external machine that directs beams from outside the body, or a source placed inside or close to the treatment area. Radiation can be used to treat a tumour, reduce the chance of cancer returning in a treated region, or ease symptoms such as pain or pressure. The method and dose depend on the cancer, its location, your previous treatment and the nearby organs that need protection.

At the planning visit, you may have a scan and small skin marks or a mould to help you lie in the same position each time. Tell the team about pregnancy, implanted devices, medicines and previous radiotherapy. External treatment does not make you radioactive, and the treatment itself is usually brief, although appointments can take longer because positioning must be precise. Side effects vary with the body area: tiredness and skin changes are possible, while treatment to the head, neck, chest, abdomen or pelvis has more specific effects. Ask how to care for the treated skin and when to report symptoms.

Contact the radiotherapy team urgently for trouble breathing, sudden weakness, confusion, a seizure, uncontrolled bleeding, severe dehydration or an inability to keep fluids down. Report fever, worsening pain, rapidly changing skin, persistent diarrhoea, repeated vomiting or difficulty swallowing promptly. Do not stop prescribed medicines or miss sessions without speaking with the team, because the plan may need a supervised adjustment.

What is the aim of my radiotherapy? Which area will be treated, and how will nearby organs be protected? How should I prepare for planning and each visit? Which side effects are expected for my treatment area? Who should I call outside appointment hours? Could this affect fertility, work or other treatment?