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Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy, sometimes known as radiation therapy, involves exposing cancers to controlled doses of radiation. The radiation is given a little at a time, in short sessions that last a few minutes.

There are two ways to give radiation therapy: externally and internally. External radiotherapy is similar to having an X-ray taken so there isn’t any pain, but the sort of radiation used is much stronger. Internal radiotherapy is where the radioactive substance is injected, swallowed or implanted into the body near the tumour.

The doses of radiation given during radiotherapy damage the DNA in cancerous cells, so that the cancer cells die before they can reproduce. This means that radiotherapy can be used to reduce the size of tumours and destroy cancerous cells. Radiotherapy is often used together with chemotherapy to treat childhood cancers.


	Radiotherapy can be used to reduce the size of tumours and destroy cancerous cells. It is often used together with chemotherapy to treat childhood cancers.

Some people think that having radiotherapy makes the patient ‘radioactive’ – it doesn’t. Family and friends don’t need to be afraid of being close to the patient.

Children and young people who receive external radiation usually visit the hospital or treatment centre four or five days a week for several weeks, coming in just for the treatment and going home straight away. Receiving small daily doses of radiation helps to protect the normal cells from damage, and the weekend breaks help the normal cells to recover from the trauma of radiation.

Children and young people who receive internal radiation treatment usually need to remain in hospital for several days so they can be carefully monitored.