Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy treatment at ESNEFT

Radiotherapy is a treatment that uses high energy x-rays to kill malignant (cancer) cells and shrink tumours.  Radiotherapy is commonly used to treat cancer (malignant disease), and it is also used for some other conditions that are not malignant.

Radiotherapy may be given as a single treatment to help control symptoms of cancers.

It can also be given on its own or alongside other treatments like chemotherapy or surgery where a more radical treatment plan is needed. This type of treatment is usually given in a number of treatments, sometimes over several weeks.

Your radiotherapy treatment is managed by a team that includes:

• a clinical oncologist (consultant)
• registrar doctors
• therapeutic radiographers
• nurses
• clinical scientists (physicists)

How does radiotherapy work against cancer cells?

The radiation we use damages the DNA of the cells in the treatment area and cancer cells should be damaged to prevent them reproducing. Your healthy cells should be able to recover.

We carefully plan your radiotherapy treatment so that we can minimise any side-effects you may experience.

The treatment and management of your cancer

Before you come to your first radiotherapy appointment in radiotherapy, you will have seen a member of the cancer team and discussed with them the treatment and management of your cancer.   This discussion should allow you to make informed decisions about your treatment options, and consider both the early and potential late side effects of your radiotherapy treatment and how these may impact you.

Before proceeding with any radiotherapy, we will ask you for your consent/permission for us to go ahead.

Please always ask for more information or ask further questions if you do not understand something about your treatment and your options.

Types of radiotherapy treatment

Radiotherapy can be delivered from outside your body or from inside your body.

The type of radiotherapy you may have will depend on a number of factors:

• the type of cancer
• the tumour location in the body
• the size of the tumour
• whether you will have other types of cancer treatment
• your general health and other medical conditions

General advice

Please eat and drink as normal, unless we have given you different instructions.

It is always helpful for you to drink water during the day.