Radiotherapy uses high-energy x-rays to treat cancer cells. It’s used after surgery to treat any cells that might have been left behind. It can also be used when a brain tumour can’t be removed or has come back after surgery.
what happens?
You’ll have your treatment in the radiotherapy department of the hospital. How many sessions you have depends on your own situation but it’s usually once a day (Monday to Friday) for between 2 and 6 weeks. This sounds like a lot but the treatment itself only takes a few minutes.
To make sure your radiotherapy is as effective as possible; treatment has to be carefully planned. This means a few visits to the department (before treatment starts) where you will lie on a machine called a ‘simulator’. This allows the staff to work out the best position for you to be in during treatment. It means that your actual radiotherapy will only take a few minutes and will be really accurate.
During treatment you’ll need to lie pretty still. You’ll be left on your own in the room but it’s only for a few minutes and you can talk to the radiographer through an intercom. Some places have a radio or CD playing while you have the radiotherapy.
what else do I need to know?
You might need to wear a see-through perspex device called a ‘mould’ or ‘shell’ to keep your head as still as possible during treatment. This helps make sure exactly the right area is treated. Your mould will be made before your treatment is planned. You’ll be able to see and to breathe properly but it might feel a bit claustrophobic. You only have to wear it for a few minutes at a time and most people find they get used to it pretty quickly.
You might hear doctors talk about stereotactic radiotherapy or conformal radiotherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery. These are all newer ways of giving radiotherapy to make it more effective and to reduce possible side effects. Your doctors will explain all about these treatments if they are appropriate in your situation. Plus you can read more in our section on radiotherapy.
Radiotherapy isn’t painful at all but you might have some side effects….
what about side effects….
Side effects can be mild or more of a problem depending on the strength of the radiotherapy dose and the length of the treatment. The most common ones that people experience are:
- Tiredness: Try to get as much rest as you can.
- Feeling sick: This can usually be effectively treated by anti-sickness medication which your doctor will prescribe. You might also find that food tastes different in which case you can try nutritious high-calorie drinks (which the dietitian can prescribe) to replace your meals.
- Headaches: Some people have headaches while they are having radiotherapy. Painkillers can help to relieve them.
- Hair loss: You’ll lose any hair within the treatment area. Mostly it’s temporary and will start to grow back within 2−3 months of finishing treatment. For some people, unfortunately, hair loss may be permanent. This will depend on the dose of radiotherapy and the length of treatment.
- Skin changes: A ‘skin reaction’ (a bit like sunburn) can sometimes happen in the area that’s being treated. This normally occurs after 3−4 weeks. If you’ve got pale skin you might find your skin becomes red and sore or itchy. If you’ve got darker skin it can become darker and maybe have a blue/black tinge.
Look in our deal with it section for more advice on how to cope with these side effects.
anything else I should know?
Some people find the symptoms of their brain tumour seem to get worse temporarily after treatment has finished. This can feel really scary but it’s actually a reaction to the radiotherapy treatment. It doesn’t mean the radiotherapy hasn’t worked or that the tumour has got worse.
late effects
These are side effects from treatment that happen months or even years after treatment has finished. There’ll be more detailed info about this in the late effects section of our web site (which we’re working on at the moment). Your doctors will make sure that you have regular follow-up appointments so that any problems can be picked up straight away. After a while, you won’t need to visit the clinic so often.
