Radiotherapy FAQ

No, you are not radioactive, and it is perfectly safe to be around children or pregnant women.

If you are having radioactive iodine treatment for thyroid cancer, please talk to your doctor about the safety measures required for this type of treatment.

Unless your doctor or surgeon has told you otherwise, you can continue to drive your car during your radiation treatment.

Yes, we actively encourage you to bring family or friends with you to see the treatment. The radiation therapists will take your family or friends into the treatment room and explain the process to them. This helps your family understand what you are going through, and enable them to provide you with support.

No. Radiotherapy is painless. You will only hear the buzzing of the machine as it is switched on.

Side effects that you may get are dependent on the area that is being treated, the amount of radiation that you receive and whether you are on any other medication, including chemotherapy. Side effects can vary from person to person, but generally occur within the second or third week of your treatment. Some of the most common side effects include fatigue and mild skin redness or soreness. Your treatment team will discuss with you in detail which side effects may apply to your specific treatment.

The treatment keeps working even though you have stopped coming in for treatment. Therefore you may find that symptoms get a little worse before they get better. Generally the side effect will have settled within two to three weeks of finishing your treatment course.

The tattoos are used to aid in the setup of your daily treatment. They are small, permanent and appear like a little black freckle. A small needle is used to give you your tattoo. At the Andrew Love Cancer Centre we also have the option of using a UV tattoo. This tattoo is invisible to the naked eye, but can be seen when viewed with a UV torch. If you prefer not to have any tattoos, please let your Radiation Oncologist or Radiation Therapist at the planning session know.

After a few weeks of treatment, your skin begins to react to the radiation. This can be similar to mild sunburn. The severity of your reaction depends on the area being treated, what other medications or treatments you are on (including chemotherapy) and the radiation dose prescribed. Your treating radiation therapists, radiation oncologist and nurses will keep a close eye on your skin and if a reaction does eventuate, give you expert care and support to manage this reaction.

Temporary or permanent hair loss may occur in the area being treated. For instance, if you are having treatment to your head or scalp, you may lose some hair in this area. If you are having treatment to your chest or armpit, the hair may fall out in this area.

You may use deodorant as normal.

Radiotherapy will only cause some nausea or vomiting if it is being delivered to your abdomen. Medications will be prescribed to help control and manage any nausea. Dietary changes can also be made to aid with the control of nausea, and our staff will discuss this with you.

Not usually. Radiotherapy has a cumulative effect and consequently it can take some weeks before side effects start to develop.

The cost of your treatment and consultations at the Andrew Love Cancer Centre is bulk-billed for Medicare eligible patients. You can find out more about fees here.

Treatment usually takes 10-20 minutes, however the treatment radiation beam is only on for a few minutes of this time. The longest part is getting you set up in the right position to ensure the accurate delivery of your treatment.

The hospital has a small network of volunteer drivers who can assist you in getting to the hospital. This is a limited service and available to those who meet certain criteria. Our nurses can give you more information on this on your planning day.

During radiotherapy it can be hard to tell how well the treatment is working. This will be assessed after your course of treatment is completed.