Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is a treatment for cancer. It can be used to try to cure cancer, reduce the chance of cancer coming back or to help relieve symptoms. 

Find out about when you might have radiotherapy, who gives it and where you have it. And about having radiotherapy if you have a pacemaker. 

External radiotherapy targets radiation at the cancer from a radiotherapy machine. Read about types of external radiotherapy and what happens during planning.

Internal radiotherapy means having radiation treatment from inside the body. It is also called brachytherapy. Read more about what it is and how you have it.

Radiotherapy to treat symptoms and improve quality of life is called palliative radiotherapy. Find out about how you have radiotherapy for different symptoms.

Radiotherapy can cause different side effects depending on which part of the body is being treated. Find out what these side effects are and how they affect you during and after treatment.

You might have regular follow up appointments at the radiotherapy department or if you went to a different hospital for radiotherapy, follow up may be back at your local hospital. Your treatment team will let you know.