What should you know about radiotherapy over 5 days instead of 15?

Radiotherapy is divided into treatment sessions called fractions. A shorter course may use a different dose per session, so fewer appointments do not mean the treatment is casual or incomplete. Your team uses scans and planning measurements to aim the beams at the intended area while limiting exposure to surrounding organs.

The schedule depends on the cancer type, its location, the purpose of treatment and previous treatment. Some people receive radiotherapy to treat the cancer directly; others receive it to reduce the chance of local return or ease a symptom. A five-day plan may be suitable for some situations but not all.

Attend the planning appointment and follow instructions about positioning, bladder or bowel preparation, medicines and skin care. Wear comfortable clothing and tell the team about implanted devices, pregnancy, or difficulty holding one position. Keep every appointment if possible, because accurate positioning supports the plan.

Fatigue, local skin changes or irritation may develop during treatment or after the final visit, depending on the body area treated. Rest when needed, drink according to your team's advice, and check before applying creams or taking supplements to the treated area.

Contact your radiotherapy team if skin becomes increasingly sore, blistered or broken, if pain is difficult to control, or if you cannot eat, drink, breathe comfortably or attend safely. Seek urgent help for severe breathing difficulty, sudden confusion, fainting or uncontrolled bleeding. The right response depends on the treated area and your full treatment plan.

Ask what the five-day schedule is intended to achieve, how the dose differs from a longer course, which body area will be treated, and when side effects are most likely. Ask who to call outside appointment hours and whether other treatments will be given before or after radiotherapy.