Types of radiotherapy

There are two types of radiation therapy, external beam radiation therapy which is the most commonly used and internal beam radiation therapy.

External beam radiotherapy

External radiotherapy uses radiotherapy machines that aim radiation beams at cancer. The machines focus the radiation beam on the exact location in such a way to maximize the radiation reaching cancer, but also to limit the effect on normal tissues as little as possible. The machine is large and may be noisy. It does not touch you, but can move around you, sending radiation to a part of your body from many directions.
The length of your treatment depends on many factors, including your type and stage of cancer. A course of EBRT involves several daily treatments (fractions) over a few days to a few weeks and the treatment is designed and monitored by a radiation oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating cancer with radiation.

Internal beam radiotherapy

Internal radiation therapy is a treatment in which a source of radiation is put inside your body. The radiation source can be solid or liquid.
There are two main types of internal radiotherapy: radioactive liquid treatment (radioisotope or radionuclide therapy), or brachytherapy (radioactive implant treatment)

Brachytherapy

brachytherapy allows a higher dose of radiation in a smaller area than might be possible with external radiation treatment. Different types of implants can be used but No matter which type of implant is used, it is placed in your body, very close to or inside the tumour. This way the radiation harms as few normal cells as possible.

There are two main types of brachytherapy:

1. low dose rate brachytherapy
   In this procedure, small radioactive ‘seeds’ are permanently implanted near or in the tumour. Which will stay permanently in place, releasing small amounts of radiation over several weeks or months. Or some implants are left in from 1 to a few days and then removed. You’ll probably have to stay in the hospital, sometimes in a special room, during treatment. For larger implants, you might have to stay in bed and lie still to keep it from moving.
2. high dose rate brachytherapy
   This procedure is similar to the low dose rate brachytherapy but different in a few points like the radioactive sources are removed from the patient at the end of each treatment session. yet the applicator might be left in place between treatments, or it might be put in before each treatment. And this procedure allows a person to be treated for several minutes at a time with a powerful radioactive source that’s put in the applicator.

Radiotherapy side effects

Many people who get radiation therapy have fatigue
In some people, radiotherapy can make the skin sore and red or darker than usual
Hair loss in the area that is being treated is a common side effect of radiotherapy
Feeling nausea and sick and losing appetite
Radiotherapy to your chest can irritate your oesophagus which can temporarily make swallowing uncomfortable
Diarrhoea is a common side effect
can sometimes make your joints and muscles in the area being treated feel stiff, swollen and uncomfortable.
can affect your sex life and fertility, especially if your lower tummy, pelvic area or groin is treated.
It also can slightly increase your risk of developing another type of cancer in the years after treatment.