In lung cancer, radiotherapy may be used in several different circumstances:

• Instead of surgery, if the tumour is too large to operate on or if the general health of the patient makes surgery not a safe option.
• To shrink the size of the tumour to help relieve symptoms such as coughing and breathlessness.
• To target secondary tumours ("metastases" – the term used to describe tumour growths when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body). Radiotherapy to secondary tumours can also help relieve symptoms e.g. relieve pain where secondary tumours are found in the bone.

Radiotherapy is done by specialist medical professionals, such as radiation oncologists
or radiation therapists. The area of the body to be targeted is X-rayed or scanned to confirm
the exact positioning of the tumour. This site is marked by a special ink on the skin and these
marks then become the target point for the radiation treatment to focus on.

The actual radiotherapy treatment generally only takes 10-15 minutes, with the patient positioned comfortably.
The length of treatment varies, as the number of radiotherapy sessions is determined by the type and size
of the tumour. Special shields are used to protect other parts of the skin from the X-rays, however, some
damage to healthy skin cells and tissues may occur.

Side effects:

Most people having radiation therapy experience some side effects. The type and severity of side effects depends
on factors such as the area of the body being treated, the general health status of the patient and the number
of radiation treatments. Some common side effects include:

• Tiredness
• Skin reactions: Mild sun-burn like reddening of the targeted and surrounding skin.
• Hair loss at the site of radiation exposure e.g. on the chest if a lung is being treated.
• Hair loss on the head will occur if the head is being directly targeted for radiation treatment.
• Nausea may occur, which can be treated with medication and relieved by eating small frequent meals rather than three large meals a day.