Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is a treatment where radiation is used to kill cancer cells. It may be used in the early stages of cancer or after it has started to spread. It can also be used for some non-malignant conditions.

It can be used:

• To cure cancer completely
• In combination with chemotherapy
• To shrink the tumour before surgery
• To reduce the risk of cancer coming back after surgery
• To help pain and relieve symptoms if a cure is not possible

 

There are two ways of having radiotherapy:

• External Beam – delivers radiation from outside the body using a Linear Accelerator (Linac).
• Internal Radiotherapy – Brachytherapy delivers radiation to body cavities or tissues internally using a specialist machine.