Cancer Library
Everything you need to know about scalp cooling
Radiotherapy, also known as radiation therapy, uses high-energy ionising radiation to safely treat cancer.
Ionising radiation is produced naturally in the environment and is also used in medical imaging and cancer treatment. There are three different ways a person may be exposed to radiation:
A planned event, where radiation is delivered deliberately with a specific purpose. This includes radiotherapy treatment, where the radiation dose has been carefully planned by a medical professional to safely and accurately meet your needs
Existing exposures, such as exposure to natural sources of radiation or radiation in a workplace
Emergency exposure situations, resulting from unexpected events including nuclear accidents or malicious acts
Extreme levels of radiation received in a short amount of time can cause damage to the body, such as in the case of emergency exposure situations.
Unlike these events, radiotherapy delivers targeted doses to cancer over multiple treatment sessions. This gives the body time to recover between each treatment session.
You can feel confident knowing Icon’s highly experienced team of radiation therapists, radiation oncologists and medical physicists work together to ensure you receive the safest and most effective radiation therapy treatment for your cancer.
Does radiotherapy make you radioactive?
Radiotherapy does not make you radioactive. With external radiation beam therapy, the radiation is directed at a specific area of the body and does not stay in your body after treatment. It’s completely safe for you to be around other people, including children and pregnant women.
If you receive brachytherapy, where a radioactive source is placed beside or inside the tumour, you may be slightly radioactive for a short time. In that situation, your care team may give you temporary precautions, including limiting prolonged close contact with young children and pregnant women. This reflects standard patient guidance for internal radiation therapies, which can involve short-term precautions depending on the treatment used.
More helpful information
Starting radiotherapy
Knowing what to expect can help you prepare for your first radiotherapy visit.
Starting radiotherapy
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Disclaimer
Content found on the Bowen Icon Cancer Centre website is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. It is not a substitute for consultation with a qualified medical practitioner. For personalised medical guidance, please consult with your GP or another qualified healthcare provider.
