Revised August 2006

If you are at the start of your radiation therapy, you probably have some questions. Our Patient Booklet  will provide you with some important information about radiation therapy and help you understand what to expect during your treatment. 

What is Radiation Therapy?
Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) uses radiation (high-energy rays) to kill or shrink tumour cells. It is used to treat some, but not all cancers. Radiation therapy destroys cells either directly or by interfering with cell reproduction. Normal cells are able to recover from radiation damage better than cancer cells.

Used alone, radiation therapy can cure cancer in many cases. It is also used in combination with other treatments or therapies such as surgery or chemotherapy. It might be used to both reduce the size of tumours before surgery or to destroy any remaining cancer cells after surgery.

Radiation therapy is also used with many other conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and hormone therapy.

When cure is not possible, radiation therapy can also help improve symptoms such as pain, or extend the patient's length of life, or improve the quality of life for patients.

Radiation therapy is the principal treatment for various skin cancers (melanoma, non-melanoma), cancers of the mouth, nasal cavity, pharynx and larynx, brain tumours, and many gynecological cancers, as well as lung and prostate cancer.

Radiation therapy is also used in combination with other treatments and therapies for breast, bowel, testicular, childhood, and bladder cancers, as well as Hodgkin's disease, leukemia and lymphomas as well as many other cancers.

The Radiation Therapy Team 
The team consists of radiation physicists, radiation oncologists and radiation therapists who work together to design a radiation therapy treatment plan specific to the individual patient's needs.

A radiation therapist then carries out the treatment plan. Other health-care professionals within the cancer centre, such as nurses, registered dietitians and counsellors will also participate in the patient's care and treatment as required.

What does it feel like? 
Patients don’t see or feel radiation and are not "radioactive" following treatment.  In most cases, the same amount of radiation will be given each day throughout the course of the treatment plan.  After treatment, patients can usually continue with normal activities although they may tire more easily.

What is brachytherapy? 
The term brachytherapy refers to the placement of radioactive "seeds" or "sources" inside or next to a tumour. The seeds/sources deliver radiation directly to the tumour, sparing surrounding healthy tissue. Some patients experience fewer side effects because healthy tissue is not dramatically affected by brachytherapy. Sometimes brachytherapy is used instead of surgery.

In some cases, thin needles are used to insert the radioactive seeds. Or sometimes, hollow applicators are used to place seeds/sources into body cavities such as the vagina or oesophagus. The seeds are small and cause little discomfort and are left in the body once all the radiation is used up.

Brachytherapy is widely used to treat various types of cancer and in recent years has received broad acceptance in the United States for the treatment of prostate cancer.  This came after the development of an ultrasound procedure that allows for the accurate placement of the radioactive seeds.  The procedure is called Transperineal Implantation of the Prostate (TPIP).

The BC Cancer Agency launched its prostate brachytherapy program in 1998. For some prostate cancer patients, brachytherapy can reduce recovery time and the likelihood of impotence and incontinence when compared to radical prostatectomy. 

What is IMRT? 
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is a type of radiation therapy that uses computer-generated images and results in an increased level of accuracy for matching radiation to the size and shape of a patient’s tumour.

IMRT allows the delivery of higher radiation doses with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue.  For example a tumour that surrounds the spinal cord can be effectively treated with IMRT with very little radiation reaching the cord.

IMRT is helpful for patients who experience a recurrence of disease in an area already treated with conventional radiation therapy.

For some patients IMRT may replace conventional radiation therapy, but in most cases IMRT is used  together with another treatment, or after another primary treatment.

Where do I get Radiation Therapy?
Patients in B.C. and the Yukon who require radiation therapy will receive treatment at one of the BC Cancer Agency’s comprehensive cancer centres where a full range of equipment and expertise is available.

If you or someone you love will be having radiation therapy treatment at the BC Cancer Agency, be assured that radiation therapy treatment procedures are explained to patients in full detail before the first scheduled treatment session.  This gives patients a chance to have any concerns or questions addressed before the start of treatment.

What are the Side Effects?
Most patients will experience some kind of side effect after receiving radiation therapy. A support team (radiation therapist, oncologist, nutritionist, and counsellor) will be there to help patients.  We have a special section of our website for side effects and coping.  Check out our Coping with Cancer section for help with nutrition, emotional, financial and practical support, how to deal with symptoms and side effects, and information about palliative care.

Because radiation must pass through healthy tissue on its way to the tumour, normal cells can be damaged. That's what causes side effects. In general, the side effects of radiation therapy are contained to the area of treatment. Possible side effects of radiation therapy include:

• Temporary or permanent hair loss in the area being treated.  Hair loss will only occur in the area that is being treated. For example, scalp hair will only be affected if the head receives radiation.
• Skin irritation
• Temporary change in skin coloration in the area being treated
• Fatigue
• Swallowing - discomfort or pain - only if radiation is delivered to the throat
• Diarrhea
• Nausea (rare)
• Low blood count (rare)