Procedure guide · Radiation oncology
Radiation therapy uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumours. The US National Cancer Institute explains that it damages the DNA of cancer cells so they stop dividing or die. External beam treatment is usually given in daily sessions over a course, so planning where you stay matters as much as choosing the centre.
What is radiation therapy?
The NCI describes three ways radiation is given. External beam therapy comes from a machine that aims radiation at the cancer without touching you. Internal therapy, or brachytherapy, places a radiation source in or near the tumour. Systemic therapy is a radioactive medicine given by mouth or into a vein.
Radiation can be used to treat cancer, to stop it returning or to slow its growth. It can also ease symptoms such as pain. The NCI notes that cancer cells do not die straight away. It takes days or weeks of treatment, and cells keep dying for weeks or months afterwards.
Who may be offered radiation therapy?
Many people with cancer receive radiation, alone or with surgery, chemotherapy or other treatments. A radiation oncologist decides whether it suits you based on the cancer type, its stage and position, and your health. The NCI notes there is a limit to how much radiation an area of the body can safely receive in a lifetime. If you have had radiation before, the team must know exactly where and how much.
Which reports does a radiation oncologist usually ask for?
Ask the hospital whether it needs:
- the histopathology report confirming the diagnosis
- staging scans such as CT, MRI or PET-CT, with images
- operation notes and surgical pathology, if you have had surgery
- chemotherapy records, if any
- full details of any previous radiation, including dose and area treated
- a summary letter from your oncologist
How does planning work and how do I plan the trip?
The NCI describes a simulation session before treatment. You lie still while scans are taken to map the area. Small skin marks, some of them permanent tattoos, help line you up each day. For head and neck treatment a mask may be made to keep you still. Most people are then treated once a day, Monday to Friday. Each visit takes about 30 minutes to an hour, mostly for positioning.
Ask how long the gap will be between simulation and the first treatment while your plan is prepared. The number of weeks depends on the cancer and the goal of treatment, and your radiation oncologist will tell you. Choose accommodation within easy reach of the centre, ideally with a kitchen. An attendant helps with meals and transport as tiredness builds. The NCI notes that external beam radiation does not make you radioactive.
What should I ask the hospital before booking?
- Which technique do you recommend for me, such as IMRT, and why?
- How many sessions will I need and how soon after simulation will treatment start?
- What happens if a machine is unavailable on a treatment day?
- Which side effects should I expect and who manages them?
- Will I receive a treatment summary with the dose and area treated?
- Who will follow me up at home?
Who decides
IndiaMedica does not give medical advice. Your oncology team decides on treatment, its schedule, how long you stay and when it is safe to travel.
Questions people ask
Will I be radioactive after treatment?
Not after external beam radiation. The NCI states that external beam radiation therapy will not make you radioactive, so you can be around other people as normal. Some internal and systemic treatments do need precautions. Your team will explain if they apply to you.
Why does the team need records of past radiation?
The NCI explains that each area of the body can only safely receive a certain amount of radiation over a lifetime. Your new plan must account for anything you received before. Bring the treatment summary from any earlier radiation, including the dose and area treated.
Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Radiation therapy for cancer
- National Cancer Institute — External beam radiation therapy
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the official source. Your treating specialist decides on suitability, treatment and length of stay. How we write and check.