Radiation does not make you radioactive. It’s completely safe for you to be around other people, including children and pregnant woman.

It is important to not miss any appointments due to the careful calculations of your personalised radiation therapy treatment plan. If you are unable to avoid missing an appointment, please discuss this as soon as possible with your radiation therapist.

Radiation therapy is only targeted to the area of your body with cancer. Unless this is an area where hair grows, such as your scalp or face, you will not have any hair loss. If you are having treatment for breast cancer, your underarm hair may fall out if it is near the radiated area, however it will grow back in time.

Yes, it is safe for you to drive after you receive radiation therapy treatment. However, if you feel unfit or unwell to drive, it’s vital that you tell your care team immediately.

This depends on the area that is receiving treatment. If you are a woman having radiation therapy to the abdomen or pelvis, the amount of radiation absorbed by the ovaries will determine the potential impact on your fertility. Radiation to the pituitary gland may also affect your fertility, as this gland normally signals the ovaries to ovulate.

Radiation to both testes in men is rare. However, if this is part of your treatment plan your fertility will be affected. If the radiation fields include the pelvis, for example in the treatment of rectal, prostate or soft tissue sarcoma at the buttock or upper leg areas, there may be scattered radiation doses to the testes that can affect your fertility and this can be temporary or permanent depending on the radiation doses received.

Please speak with your radiation oncologist if you or your partner wish to become pregnant or you have fertility concerns.

You must not be pregnant or become pregnant at any point during your radiation therapy, as radiation can harm the foetus by causing congenital abnormalities and increases miscarriage risk.

If you think you might be pregnant at any time, it is extremely important to discuss this with a member of your care team. Adequate protection, for example in the use of condom during sexual intercourse or using birth control pill is needed to ensure that you do not become pregnant during the course of radiation. If you want to become pregnant after your treatment please talk to your radiation oncologist about this before starting radiation therapy.

If you are having radiation therapy to your pelvic region, you must not father children during treatment. Radiation therapy may damage your sperm, which can lead to birth abnormalities. If you wish to father children after your treatment please talk to your radiation oncologist about this before starting radiation therapy.

Since radiation therapy is targeted to a specific area of your body, you will only experience side effects in this area.

Your radiation oncologist and treatment team will discuss the type of side effects you may experience before your treatment begins.

Two to three weeks after your radiation therapy begins, you may experience skin redness, dryness, itching, blistering, or peeling. These skin reactions may last throughout your treatment, and will usually resolve a few weeks after treatment has finished. Sometimes these effects may worsen towards the end of treatment and for up to two weeks after your treatment ends.

Another common side effect you may have during your treatment is fatigue, a feeling of exhaustion and lack of energy. As you reach the end of your treatment, your fatigue may worsen. Every person is affected by fatigue in different ways, which may also depend on whether you are receiving other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy. Fatigue usually resolves a few weeks after the completion of your treatment. To best manage your fatigue, it’s important to find a balance between rest and activity.

Although most side effects are temporary and resolve after your radiation therapy has finished, there is a possibility that long-term effects may occur. Please discuss with your radiation oncologist as he/she is the best person to provide more details and this will be covered in the consent process before you start your treatment.

At Icon, we’re here to help you manage any side effects that you may have. Please talk to your care team about any side effects you are experiencing.

If you receive radiation therapy targeted to your abdominal region, you may get an upset stomach and feel nauseated. This will usually resolve when your course of treatment finishes. Your oncologist can prescribe a medication to prevent and treat the nausea if needed. If you notice you are feeling nauseated for a prolonged period of time, please inform our team so we can suggest ways to manage this.

Radiation is typically painless, similar to having an x-ray, and is targeted to the part of the body being treated. Please notify the radiation therapist if the position is causing you any pain, discomfort or is making you feel unwell.

Radiation therapy is scheduled over an extended period of time, usually across 1-7 weeks. This allows healthy cells to recover while the dosage given is high enough to improve clinical outcomes. Each treatment session may last between 5 to 20 minutes.