Is external beam radiotherapy done with linear accelerator?

A linear accelerator creates high-energy radiation outside the body. During planning, imaging helps the team map the tumour and nearby organs. The machine can then aim beams from different directions and adjust their shape so the prescribed dose follows the treatment plan as closely as possible.

You usually lie on a treatment couch while the therapists position you. The machine may move around you and make sounds, but it does not touch you. The treatment session itself is usually brief, although positioning and checks take additional time. You are not radioactive after external beam treatment.

Attend the planning appointment and follow instructions about bladder filling, eating, skin products, or medicines if your team gives them. Wear comfortable clothing and tell staff about implants, pregnancy, mobility problems, or difficulty lying still. Keep scheduled visits even when you feel well, because the team uses them to check positioning, skin, energy, and other effects.

Protect treated skin from friction and unapproved creams, and ask before using heat, cold packs, or new products over the treatment area. Rest, drink according to your team's advice, and report symptoms early.

Contact the radiotherapy team promptly for a new severe pain, rapidly worsening skin reaction, repeated vomiting, inability to drink, heavy bleeding, or new breathing difficulty. Seek emergency help for collapse, severe breathlessness, confusion, or uncontrolled bleeding. Use the after-hours number supplied by your centre.

Ask: Why is external beam radiotherapy recommended? Which body area will be treated? How will imaging guide planning? What skin and activity changes should I expect? Which symptoms require a same-day call?