Radiation Therapy FAQ and Patient Stories

Radiation therapy, also known as radiotherapy, uses high doses of radiation to destroy cancer cells and to shrink tumors.

Below, find answers to popular radiation therapy questions and experiences of radiation therapy shared by The Patient Story community.

Table Of Contents

How does radiation therapy work?
Types of radiation therapy
How does radiation work alongside other treatments?
Hear from a radiation oncologist
Radiation therapy stories and experiences

How does radiation therapy work?

Radiation therapy in high doses destroys or slows down the growth of cancer cells through damaging the cells’ DNA. When the DNA is damaged enough, the cells will stop dividing and die. The body then breaks down and removes those damaged cells.

This process usually takes days or weeks of radiation therapy treatment before the cancer cells suffer enough damage. They continue to die for weeks, sometimes months, after the radiation therapy ends.

The actual process of radiation is pretty short. For the radiation therapy treatment, most of the appointment is usually spent positioning the body correctly.

Types of radiation therapy

Your medical team will decide what kind of radiation therapy to give you based on multiple factors, including:

Cancer type
Tumor size and location
How close the tumor is to normal cells and tissue
Other cancer treatments you’ll be undergoing
General health history
Age
Other medical conditions

You can break radiation therapy down into two main types:

External beam:
- 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT)
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
- Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) or stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR)
Internal radiation

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)

Commonly treated cancers: Many types
Process: Most common type of radiation therapy. It’s delivered with machines (linear accelerators) that move around the outside of the body without touching it, which means you should not feel anything or any pain during the treatment.
Post-therapy: You will be able to be around other people safely after the radiation therapy, as it does not make the patient radioactive.
Types of EBRT
- 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT): 3D images created by either computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provide physicians a better picture of targeting the tumor
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): This is similar to the 3D method but with IMRT, the doctor can adjust levels of radiation in each beam. This is meant to help reduce side effects by targeting cancer cells and avoiding normal cells.
- Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) or stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR): This treatment is thought to be more powerful in destroying cancer cells. If you get this radiation method, you should get it in five or fever treatments.

Internal radiation (Brachytherapy)

Commonly treated cancers: Head and neck, breast, cervix, prostate, and eye
Process: Less common type of radiation therapy, usually done outpatient. The physician will likely put small applicators or catheters directly into the treatment area to target the radiation right at the cancer. This can help limit the radiation exposure to normal cells. You will get anesthesia or sedation during the procedure, so the appointment will take some hours.
Post-therapy:The radiation source is either solid or liquid and may emit radiation for a while.
Types:
- Systemic therapy: Internal radiation therapy that uses a liquid source, allowing treatment to travel in the blood throughout tissues in your body to destroy cancer cells. This can be done through oral pill, IV, or injection. Body fluids like sweat, saliva, and urine will emit radiation for a while.
  - Common types are radioactive iodine pill for thyroid cancer and targeted radionuclide therapy, to treat advanced prostate cancer or gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (GEP-NET).

How does radiation work alongside other treatments?

Radiation therapy is sometimes given alone, but mor often than not, there will be other treatments given before, during, or after the radiation.

Radiation before surgery: Radiation can shrink the size of the tumors and cancer to improve the chances of success for surgical removal.
Radiation during surgery: Known as “intraoperative radiation,” this radiation is applied directly to the cancer without having to go through the skin.
Radiation after surgery: To destroy any cancer cells that might remain.

Hear from a radiation oncologist

Hear from radiation oncologist, Dr. Kenneth Biehl.

Radiation therapy stories and experiences

Here are different experiences with radiation therapy, as told by our TPS community members.

External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)

John B., Prostate Cancer, Gleason 9, Stage 4A

Symptoms: Nocturia (frequent urination at night), weak stream of urine

Treatments: Surgery (prostatectomy), hormone therapy (androgen deprivation therapy), radiation

...

Laura P., Hodgkin Lymphoma, Stage 4

Symptom: Nagging cough

Treatments: Chemotherapy, radiation

...

Ryan A., Tongue Cancer (Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck), Stage 4

Symptom: Lesion on the side of the tongue

Treatments: Surgeries (partial glossectomy, neck dissection, tongue reconstruction), chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation

...

Albita G., Colon Cancer, Stage 4

Symptoms: Blood in stool, pain during defecation, constant constipation, steady weight gain in the midsection despite exercising

Treatments: Surgery (colectomy, hepatectomy, hysterectomy), chemotherapy, radiation

...

Lauren M., T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL)

Symptoms: High fever, trouble breathing while lying flat, bad cough, headaches

Treatments: Chemotherapy, radiation, lumbar puncture

...

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)

Heidi N., Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Stage 3A

Symptoms: None; unrelated chest CT scan revealed lung mass & enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes
Treatment: Chemoradiation
...

Steve R., Prostate Cancer, Stage 4, Gleason 6

Symptom: Rising PSA level
Treatments: IMRT (radiation therapy), brachytherapy, surgery, and lutetium-177
...

Brachytherapy

Candace C., Small Cell Cervical Cancer, Stage 3C

Symptoms: Heavy uterine bleeding, irregular menstruation, cervix seemed irritated and friable

Treatments: Surgery (radical hysterectomy), radiotherapy (brachytherapy), chemotherapy, immunotherapy
...

Michelle B., Cervical Cancer, Stage 3

Symptoms: Heavy bleeding with blood clots, lower back pain
Treatments: Radiation (external beam radiation therapy & brachytherapy), chemotherapy
...

Amanda L., Cervical Cancer, Stage 3

Symptoms: Heavy periods, abnormal bleeding, large blood clots, severe cramping, severe abdominal pain, pain radiating down the left leg, loss of mobility in the left leg, loss of appetite, fatigue

Treatments: Chemotherapy, radiation therapy (external beam radiation therapy & brachytherapy)

...

Eugenia H., Poorly Differentiated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Stage 4

Symptoms: Chest tightness, wheezing, weight loss, persistent high pulse rate, coughing up blood, severe bleeding from the mouth

Treatments: Chemotherapy, radiation therapy (external beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy & CyberKnife), cryotherapy, surgeries (tracheostomy & emergency bowel obstruction surgery), immunotherapy

...

McKenzie E., Cervical Cancer, Stage 3C2

Symptoms: Severe abdominal & back cramping, persistent & extreme pain, heavy discharge & bleeding

Treatments: Radiation, chemotherapy (cisplatin), brachytherapy, immunotherapy (Keytruda)
...

Lutetium-177