Radiation Therapy FAQs

Radiation therapy is an effective tool in treating cancer and reducing cancer symptoms. It’s especially effective for cancers of the lung, breast, prostate, head, and neck. In addition to destroying cancer cells, radiation therapy can prevent cancer from moving to another area of your body (metastasizing) and can reduce symptoms of advanced cancer, such as pain, problems swallowing, breathing, or bowel blockages.

Your oncologist will explain the types of therapy that can provide the best treatment for your individual needs and help you achieve the best outcome. In some cases, both external and internal radiation therapy are used to be sure the cancer cells in the area are killed.

You’re not going to be considered radioactive during an external beam treatment or most internal radiation therapy treatments. Some radiopharmaceuticals cause the patient to emit radiation for a short period. Your radiation oncologist will address any precautions to take if there is a chance you may temporarily emit small amounts of radiation.

The treatment itself is usually painless. Patients may need to lie in an uncomfortable position for a short period during planning and treatment sessions, which last less than 30 minutes for most patients. Brachytherapy may require surgery to implant a source of radiation. High doses may require lying in a specific position to keep the radiation in place during treatment.

Radiation therapy may cause mild side effects, including fatigue, sensitive skin in the area where radiation is given, swelling, hair loss at the treatment site, and headaches. Typically, side effects improve after treatment ends. However, some patients may experience fatigue or have skin irritation for a while after treatment.

Other side effects depend on where the radiation treatment is focused and how much radiation you receive. For example, patients treated for head and neck cancers might experience dry mouth, a sore throat, changes in food taste, and potentially dental issues such as loose teeth. Chest treatment patients may have trouble swallowing, coughing, or shortness of breath.

Fatigue and loss of appetite can be side effects of radiation therapy. Many patients report feeling better when they eat foods that provide the nutrition they need during cancer treatment. Eating a well-balanced diet is essential to give your body the nutrition you need to recover. If you are receiving radiation therapy, this means an increase in calories, protein, and fluids in order to keep your strength up.

Learn more in our blog: Nutrition Tips for Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy can pose a slight increase in your risk of getting another type of cancer. The risk is related to the amount of radiation needed and how long it’s given. It also takes into account how long the patient lives after receiving radiation therapy.

Giving only the amount of radiation that’s needed is a critical part of the treatment planning process. The radiation oncologist aims the radiation beams at the specific areas of the body that need it while minimizing damage to nearby cells and organs.

If your cancer care team has recommended radiation therapy as part of your treatment, the benefits outweigh the risks of developing a second cancer.

Radiation can be the only treatment needed if cancer is found at an early stage. Sometimes you will have radiation with additional treatments. This depends on the type and stage of cancer that you have. Examples of other treatments can include surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy.

It’s commonly used after surgery to kill any cancer cells that could be left behind after removing the tumor. Sometimes radiation is given before surgery or chemotherapy treatments to shrink a tumor, resulting in less invasive surgery or less chemotherapy. This is called neoadjuvant therapy.

Some people feel well enough to work through the weeks when radiation therapy is given. Some people feel well at the beginning of their treatment, but feel worn down after a while and may need some time off. Talk to your oncologist before your therapy begins to have a clear idea of what to expect and which treatment will be most effective for you.

Before your treatment, you will meet the Cancer Care Centers of Brevard radiation oncology team. This includes the radiation oncologist and radiation therapist. During your initial appointment, the oncologist will discuss your treatment plan and what to expect. The radiation technician will also be on hand to explain the process. Feel free to ask questions that you may have written down previously. Once you’ve had time to go over the goals of treatment and what to expect, you will undergo a simulation before any radiation therapy is given.

Radiation therapy simulations are done before your treatments so that the radiation oncology team can create a highly specialized plan based on the size and location of your cancer. They will place you on the table where treatment will be given in the future, and they may even mark your body with a permanent marker or tattoo so the linear accelerator lines up in the exact same spot for every treatment.

Most of the time, a CT scan is part of the planning process so the radiation oncology team can see the exact size, shape, and location of the tumor. This determines how much radiation should be given and at which angles the beams should come from.

At Cancer Care Centers of Brevard, our radiation team works closely with our medical oncologists so everyone is aware of your progress in the treatment plan. They are also in contact with your surgeon and other specialists to be sure that treatments are working as planned and to discuss the next steps.

Most patients will continue to be seen by the medical oncologist on a regular schedule, even while undergoing radiation therapy and seeing the radiation oncology team. Talk to your oncologists about appointments that are needed and any blood work that may be needed before meeting with the physician.