Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bleeding, prolonged cough, unexplained weight loss, and a change in bowel movements. While these symptoms may indicate cancer, they can also have other causes. Over 100 types of cancers affect humans.

Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. Normally, human cells grow and multiply (through a process called celldivision) to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.

Sometimes this orderly process breaks down, and abnormal or damaged cells grow and multiply when they shouldn’t. These cells may form tumors, which are lumps of tissue. Tumors can be cancerous or not cancerous (benign). 

Cancerous tumors spread into, or invade, nearby tissues and can travel to distant places in the body to form new tumors (a process called metastasis). Cancerous tumors may also be called malignanttumors. Many cancers form solid tumors, but cancers of the blood, such as leukemias, generally do not.

Benign tumors do not spread into, or invade, nearby tissues. When removed, benign tumors usually don’t grow back, whereas cancerous tumors sometimes do. Benign tumors can sometimes be quite large, however. Some can cause serious symptoms or be life threatening, such as benign tumors in the brain.

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer#:~:text=Cancer%20is%20caused%20by%20certain,tightly%20packed%20DNA%20called%20chromosomes.&text=Cancer%20is%20a%20genetic%20disease,how%20they%20grow%20and%20divide.

Hair loss

Diarrhea

Fatigue

Nauseous and vomiting

Skin changes

Urinary and bladder problems

It takes 6 months or more to recover

Radiation Therapy to Treat Cancer

Radiation therapy kills cancer cells or slows their growth by damaging their DNA.

Credit: National Cancer Institute

Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) is a cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. At low doses, radiation is used in x-rays to see inside your body, as with x-rays of your teeth or broken bones.

How radiation therapy works against cancer

At high doses, radiation therapy kills cancer cells or slows their growth by damaging their DNA. Cancer cells whose DNA is damaged beyond repair stop dividing or die. When the damaged cells die, they are broken down and removed by the body.

Radiation therapy does not kill cancer cells right away. It takes days or weeks of treatment before DNA is damaged enough for cancer cells to die. Then, cancer cells keep dying for weeks or months after radiation therapy ends.

External beam radiation therapy is used to treat many types of cancer.

Brachytherapy is most often used to treat cancers of the head and neck, breast, cervix, prostate, and eye.

A systemic radiation therapy called radioactive iodine, or I-131, is most often used to treat certain types of thyroid cancer.

Another type of systemic radiation therapy, called targeted radionuclide therapy, is used to treat some patients who have advanced prostate cancer or gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (GEP-NET). This type of treatment may also be referred to as molecular radiotherapy.

How radiation is used with other cancer treatments

For some people, radiation may be the only treatment you need. But, most often, you will have radiation therapy with other cancer treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Radiation therapy may be given before, during, or after these other treatments to improve the chances that treatment will work. The timing of when radiation therapy is given depends on the type of cancer being treated and whether the goal of radiation therapy is to treat the cancer or ease symptoms.

When radiation is combined with surgery, it can be given:

• Before surgery, to shrink the size of the cancer so it can be removed by surgery and be less likely to return.

• During surgery, so that it goes straight to the cancer without passing through the skin. Radiation therapy used this way is called intraoperative radiation. With this technique, doctors can more easily protect nearby normal tissues from radiation.

• After surgery to kill any cancer cells that remain.

Radiation therapy can be expensive. It uses complex machines and involves the services of many health care providers. The exact cost of your radiation therapy depends on the cost of health care where you live, what type of radiation therapy you get, and how many treatments you need.

Talk with your health insurance company about what services it will pay for. Most insurance plans pay for radiation therapy. To learn more, talk with the business office at the clinic or hospital where you go for treatment.

Eat healthy & stay hydrated. Helps the Immune system and healing

Exercise regularly

Get enough rest

Stress reduction techniques

Practice good hygiene

Follow up appointments with health care provider

Don’t s:

Rub, scrub, scratch sensitive areas

Avoid putting very hot or cold things like hot pads or ice packs

Avoid raw or undercooked eat raw or undercooked food

Overexert yourself

Interact with infectious people

Drink alcohol

Chemotherapy may also damage cells in the heart, lungs, kidneys, bladder, and nervous system.

It's difficult to predict what side effects you'll get and in some cases you may only develop side effects months, or even years, after you start treatment.

Side effects vary from person to person and depend on things such as the part of your body being treated and the type of radiotherapy you have. Ask your care team about the side effects you might get.

Sore skin

In some people, radiotherapy can make your skin sore, change colour (it might become red, lighter or darker than your normal skin tone), or dry and itchy. Sometimes it can blister and peel.

This tends to start 1 to 2 weeks after treatment begins.

Tell your care team if you notice any soreness or changes to your skin.

To care for your skin during radiotherapy you should:

• wash your skin every day with your usual soap

• pat your skin dry instead of rubbing it

• apply your usual moisturiser every day, or start using a moisturiser

• use your usual deodorant, unless it irritates your skin

• avoid shaving the area if possible and do not use laser, wax, or hair-removal creams

• avoid using heat or cold packs on the area

• try wearing loose-fitting clothes made from natural fibres such as cotton or silk, and avoid tight bands, ties or straps on the sore area

• use a high-factor sunscreen (SPF 50 or above) to protect your skin from the sun and continue to use it for at least a year after treatment ends

• check with your care team if you should stop swimming – chlorine in the water can sometimes make your skin worse when you're having radiotherapy

• stop using any products on your skin if your skin breaks

Skin problems usually settle within 2 to 4 weeks of treatment finishing, but sometimes your skin might stay slightly darker or lighter than it was before.

Tiredness

Many people having radiotherapy feel tired (fatigued) a lot of the time or become tired very easily from doing everyday activities.

This usually starts during treatment and can continue for several weeks or months after treatment finishes.

It can help to:

• get plenty of rest

• avoid doing tasks or activities that you do not feel up to

• do light exercise, such as going for short walks, if you're able to – this can boost your energy level, but be careful not to push yourself too hard

• ask your friends and family for help with everyday tasks

If you're working, you may want to ask your employer for time off or to let you work part-time until your treatment has finished.

Read more tips to help fight tiredness.

Contact your care team if you suddenly feel very tired and out of breath. This can be a sign of a lack of red blood cells (anaemia), which may need to be treated.

Hair loss

Hair loss is a common side effect of radiotherapy. But unlike hair loss during chemotherapy, it only causes hair loss in the area being treated.

Ask your care team to show you exactly where your hair is likely to fall out.

Your hair will usually start to fall out 2 to 3 weeks after treatment starts.

It should start to grow back a few weeks after treatment finishes, although sometimes it may be a slightly different texture or colour than it was before.

Occasionally, hair loss can be permanent if you have a high dose of radiotherapy. Ask your doctor if this is a risk before starting treatment.

Radiotherapy to your head or neck can make the lining of your mouth sore and irritated. This is known as mucositis.

Symptoms tend to happen within a couple of weeks of treatment starting and can include:

• the inside of your mouth feeling sore – as if you have burned it by eating very hot food or drink

• mouth ulcers, which can become infected

• discomfort when eating, drinking and/or talking

• a dry mouth

• reduced sense of taste

• bad breath

Tell your care team if you have any of these problems. They may recommend painkillers or a special mouthwash that can help. Avoiding spicy, salty or sharp foods can also help.

Mucositis usually gets better a few weeks after treatment finishes, although sometimes a dry mouth can be a long-term problem.

Loss of appetite

Feeling sick and tired during radiotherapy can make you lose your appetite, which could lead to weight loss. You may also find that your sense of taste changes, which can also affect appetite.

But it's important to try to eat healthily and maintain your weight during treatment. Tell your care team if you do not feel you're eating enough.

They may give you tips, such as eating frequent small meals instead of 3 large meals, or refer you to a dietitian.

Discomfort when swallowing

Radiotherapy to your chest, head, neck or oesophagus (gullet or food pipe) can make swallowing uncomfortable.

Tell your care team if this affects you, as you may need to make some changes to your diet, such as eating soft or liquid foods.

You may also be prescribed medicine to reduce the discomfort and in a few cases you may need a temporary feeding tube.

Read more about treatments for swallowing problems.

Swallowing problems usually improve after treatment stops.

Diarrhoea is a common side effect of radiotherapy to the tummy or pelvic area.

It usually starts a few days after treatment begins and may get a bit worse as treatment continues.

Tell your care team if you get diarrhoea. Medicine is available to help relieve it.

Diarrhoea should disappear within a few weeks of treatment finishing. Tell your doctor if your symptoms have not improved after a few weeks, or if you notice blood in your poo.

Stiff joints and muscles

Radiotherapy can sometimes make your joints and muscles in the area being treated feel stiff, swollen and uncomfortable.

Exercising and stretching regularly can help to prevent stiffness.

Tell your care team if joint or muscle stiffness a problem. They may refer you to a physiotherapist, who can recommend exercises for you to try.

Sex and fertility issues

Radiotherapy can have an effect on your sex life and fertility, especially if your lower tummy, pelvic area or groin is treated.

Ask your care team if there's a chance it could affect you.

In women, there's a risk that radiotherapy could cause:

• loss of interest in sex (loss of libido) – this tends to gradually improve after treatment stops

• stiffening and narrowing of the vagina – your care team may suggest using vaginal dilators (devices you insert into your vagina) to prevent this; having sex regularly may also help

• vaginal dryness – lubricants, vaginal moisturisers and medicated creams can help with this

• the menopause – this can cause symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats, but treatment with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help

• infertility – if there's a risk this could happen, it may be possible to store some of your eggs before treatment

Cancer Research UK has more information about women's sex life and fertility after radiotherapy.

Sex and fertility issues for men

In men, there's a risk that radiotherapy could cause:

• loss of interest in sex (loss of libido) – this tends to gradually improve after treatment stops

• difficulty getting an erection (erectile dysfunction) – this tends to improve with time and there are several erectile dysfunction treatments available

• pain when ejaculating – this should pass a few weeks after the treatment ends

• infertility – if there's a risk this could happen, it may be possible to store a sample of your sperm before treatment

Cancer Research UK has more information about men's sex life and fertility after radiotherapy.

Emotional issues

Having radiotherapy can be a frustrating, stressful and traumatic experience. It's natural to feel anxious and to wonder if your treatment will be successful.

Stress and anxiety can also increase your risk of depression.

Speak to your care team if you're struggling to cope emotionally. They can offer support and discuss possible treatment strategies.

Joining a cancer support group may also help. Talking to other people in a similar situation can often reduce feelings of isolation and stress.

Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) is a highly effective cancer treatment with wide-ranging uses. Radiation therapy leads to cancer cure in many patients (either alone or with other treatments) and relieves symptoms or prolongs survival in more advanced cancers. There are proven roles for nearly all cancer types.

Radiation therapy is a highly targeted treatment accurately controlling the cancer wherever it might be in the body. This allows the cancer cells to be killed or reduced in number whilst protecting the majority of other organs and tissues in the body.

Radiation therapy contributes to 40% of all cancer cures world-wide as well as improving the quality of life for many others. Despite this great benefit, the total cost of radiation therapy to the Commonwealth government is less than 9 cents in every dollar spent on all cancer diagnosis and treatment. Each year of life saved in Australia by radiation therapy costs us less than one saved using other cancer treatments. In other words, radiation therapy is a very cost-effective cancer treatment.

One of the reasons that radiation therapy is so cost-effective is that it is usually given as out-patient treatment- people can come in for short visits and often continue their normal activities. Although radiation therapy centres are expensive to set up, a typical treatment machine (linear accelerator) can treat more than 30 patients each day for up to 10 years.

For many common cancers, such as breast cancer, bowel cancer, uterine cancer, skin cancers and prostate cancer, radiation therapy is highly effective in reducing the risk of cancer recurrence if delivered either before or after surgery. In some cancers (for example (prostate, head and neck, bladder, lung, cervix and skin cancers), radiation therapy, with or without drug therapy, can be used as the main curative treatment and in this way avoids the risks of surgery and the removal of organs.

For some cancers that are too advanced to be cured, radiation therapy is very effective for pain and other problems caused by cancer, such as bleeding from the lung or bladder. For example, pain in the bones from the spread of cancer can be improved significantly or be completely removed in around 75% of patients.

New technological advances in radiation therapy have made life better for cancer patients in recent years by making treatments even quicker, more accurate and effective. Ongoing investment in new technology is vital, so Australians and New Zealanders (as in all countries) can keep benefiting from high quality, world-class radiation therapy.