Radiation 101: What to Expect During Radiation Treatment for Cancer

Each year in the United States, nearly two million people are diagnosed with cancer, many of whom receive radiation therapy as part of their cancer treatment.

If you or a loved one was recently diagnosed, and your care team recommends radiation therapy as one of your treatment options, you probably have many questions. Below, we answer a few of the most common questions about this form of therapy.

Q: What Is Radiation Therapy?

A: Radiation treatment for cancer, also called radiation therapy, uses a high dose of radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink cancerous tumors. The goal of radiation therapy is to damage cancer cells’ DNA, causing them to stop multiplying and die off.

“Radiation therapy is one of the most common cancer treatments,” says Dr. Michael Porrazzo, a board-certified radiation oncologist at Beaufort Memorial New River Cancer Center in Okatie. “Your radiation oncologist and other members of your care team will determine the type of radiation therapy you need, based on your diagnosis, the size of the tumor, where the tumor is located and any other cancer treatments you’ll receive.”

Radiation therapy may be used on its own, before surgery to shrink a cancerous tumor, after other types of treatment to fully eradicate cancer cells or alongside other treatment types to relieve symptoms.

Read More: Becoming a Cancer Survivor

Q: What Happens During Radiation Treatment for Cancer?

A: If you need to receive radiation therapy, a radiation oncologist will guide your care. He or she will work alongside the rest of your care team, including your primary care provider, medical oncologist and surgeon, to determine your best path forward when it comes to treatment.

Prior to your first session of radiation therapy, your medical team will carefully plan your treatment. This usually includes going through a trial run of a treatment session. Using imaging scans, such as an MRI or CT, your care team will verify the tumor location and mark it for easy identification.

During this session, you’ll also be coached through any steps you need to take to receive treatment, such as the position you need to lie in and any other instructions.

Your radiation oncologist will also talk you through your treatment plan before the first session of radiation therapy. You’ll find out how many sessions you will need, how frequently you will have them and how long each session will last.

Read More: The Role of a Cancer Nurse Navigator

Q: Are There Different Types of Radiation Therapy?

A: There are two main types of radiation therapy — internal radiation therapy and external beam radiation therapy.

Internal radiation therapy involves placing a radiation source inside the body to kill off cancer cells. One example is brachytherapy, which involves implanting seeds, ribbons or capsules containing radiation either in or on the location of the cancerous tumor. If your treatment plan involves internal radiation therapy, we can refer you to subspecialists, including our partners at MUSC Health in Charleston.

During external beam radiation therapy, a machine called a linear accelerator, or LINAC, aims radiation at the part of your body affected by cancer. There are several different types of external beam radiation therapy, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy, proton beam therapy, image-guided radiation therapy and stereotactic radiation therapy. These radiation types differ in the specifics of how they work, such as how they target the tumor, the type of radiation used and whether imaging is used during a radiation session. We offer external beam radiation therapy at the Keyserling Cancer Center in Beaufort and our New River Cancer Center in Okatie.

Q: Will I Experience Side Effects From Radiation?

A: There are few, if any, side effects of radiation therapy thanks to pinpoint precision of high-dose radiation delivery. The short-term side effects will depend on the area treated and how many treatments you receive. Each patient is unique and may react differently.

Side effects of radiation therapy can include:

• Fatigue (the most common side effect)
• Skin irritation in the treatment area
• Bladder or pelvic irritation
• Bloating or cramping
• Decreased appetite
• Difficulty swallowing
• Headaches
• Mouth sores
• Nausea and vomiting

Many patients ask if they will lose their hair during radiation. Radiation therapy may cause hair loss but only at the site being treated. For example, radiation to your scalp may cause you to lose hair at the treatment site. However, if you’re receiving radiation therapy in your breast area, then you will not lose the hair on your head. Radiation therapy is very precise and site specific.

Most side effects are temporary and will lessen or disappear in the days and weeks following treatment. However, radiation treatments for some types of cancer, such as brain cancer, can show up months after treatment.

Your oncologist or nurse navigator can explain any side effects that you may experience during or after treatment.

Radiation therapy is part of many cancer treatment plans. If it’s the next step in your cancer treatment journey, a Beaufort Memorial cancer nurse navigator can help explain the treatment and connect you with a radiation oncologist.