Patient education: External beam radiation therapy (The Basics)

What is radiation therapy? — This is a type of cancer treatment. It uses high doses of X-rays, called radiation, to kill cancer cells. Doctors can use radiation to treat many different types of cancers. Some people are treated only with radiation therapy. Others get radiation therapy along with other cancer treatments.

There are 2 types of radiation therapy, depending on where the source of the radiation is:

●"External beam radiation therapy" – The radiation comes from a machine that is outside of the body.

●"Internal radiation therapy" (also called "brachytherapy") – The radiation comes from a source that is put inside of the body.

This article discusses external beam radiation therapy.

What happens before I start radiation therapy? — You will meet with a team of doctors and nurses to plan your radiation therapy. They will probably do an exam and tests. They will put a small dot of ink on your body to mark the area that will be treated. They might also make a mold or mask of a part of your body for you to wear during treatment. This is to help keep your body still while you get radiation therapy.

Your doctor or nurse will also give you instructions about what to wear and what you can or can't have on your body during radiation. For example, most people should not have bandages, jewelry, or other items on the skin in the area being treated.

How often do I need to get radiation therapy? — This is not the same for everyone. The number of treatments a person needs depends on the type of cancer. For example:

●Some people get radiation only 1 time.

●Other people get radiation over several weeks. Often, they get radiation once a day, 5 days a week, for a certain number of weeks.

●Another schedule for radiation might be 2 times a day, 5 days a week, for a shorter period of time.

Your doctor or nurse will talk with you about your radiation schedule.

What happens during radiation therapy? — People get radiation therapy in the hospital or treatment center, but they can go home after each treatment. They do not usually need to stay in the hospital.

For each treatment:

●You will wear your mold or mask (if you have one) and sit or lie down in front of the machine. You will need to stay still.

●The doctor will line up the machine with your dot of ink. That way, the X-rays will be directed at the part of your body with the cancer.

●The therapist will run the radiation machine from a nearby room. They will watch you through a window or on a screen. You can talk with the therapist over an intercom.

It doesn't hurt to get radiation. The machine sends radiation through the cancer and the area right around it for about 1 to 5 minutes.

What are the side effects of radiation? — People can have different side effects from radiation. The side effects depend on:

●The part of the body being treated – As the X-rays travel through the body, they can damage the skin and the organs or tissues next to the cancer.

●The dose of radiation

●The number of treatments and the treatment schedule

"Early" side effects are those that happen within hours or days after treatment. Common early side effects include:

●Feeling tired or weak, or having no energy – These symptoms can get worse over the course of treatment.

●Skin changes – The skin of the area being treated can peel, blister, itch, or turn red.

Other early side effects can also happen. Depending on your treatment, your doctor will talk to you about what to expect.

People can also have "late" side effects from radiation, meaning that they happen months or years after the treatment. These can include:

●Trouble getting pregnant

●Other types of cancers, although these are rare

How are the side effects treated? — Your doctor can treat the side effects in different ways, depending on your symptoms. They will also suggest things you can do on your own. For example, to ease your skin symptoms, you can:

●Be gentle when washing and drying your skin.

●Use creams that your doctor or nurse recommends.

●Use sunblock and wear a hat or long sleeves to protect your skin.

●Avoid putting anything too hot or cold on your skin.

●Avoid scratching your skin.

What else should I do? — When you have radiation therapy, it's important to:

●Follow all of your doctor's instructions about treatment and visits.

●Let your doctor or nurse know about any side effects or problems you have during treatment or if your health changes. You should also tell them if your dot of ink wears off.

●Take care of yourself by eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising. To keep your energy up, try to eat foods and drinks with a lot of protein and calories.

More on this topic

Patient education: Brachytherapy (The Basics)
Patient education: Managing loss of appetite and weight loss with cancer (The Basics)
Patient education: Hair loss from cancer treatment (The Basics)
Patient education: Nausea and vomiting with cancer treatment (The Basics)
Patient education: When your cancer treatment makes you tired (The Basics)
Patient education: Managing pain when you have cancer (The Basics)
Patient education: Mouth sores from cancer treatment (The Basics)
Patient education: Preserving fertility after cancer treatment in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Preserving fertility after cancer treatment in men (The Basics)
Patient education: Preserving fertility after cancer treatment in women (The Basics)