Radiotherapy For Cervical Cancer

Radiotherapy uses radiation to control the spread of malignant tumours. Radiotherapy can be carried out externally and internally. In external radiotherapy, radioactive beams are directed onto your body from a machine. The beams come from a number of different angles, and aim to cross each other at the location of the malignant cells, so that the surrounding tissues only come into contact with relatively weak beams. Radiotherapy will be carefully planned to make sure you receive the right dose at regular intervals. The treatment is usually given over a five-day week with a rest at weekends. When you are following a course of external radiotherapy you do not become radioactive, and it is perfectly safe for you to come into contact with other people.

Internal radiotherapy places a source of radiation within the womb itself. This can be administered constantly for up to five days, during which the patient remains in a solitary ward, or in short treatments with overnight stays in hospital. A machine called a Selectron can be used that automatically retracts the radioactive sources when someone enters your room, ensuring the safety of visitors. This diagram shows the positioning of radioactive sources in the cervix and womb:

Source: Cancer Research UK
Radiotherapy itself is painless, but side effects can occur, such as damage to surrounding tissues resulting in swelling or soreness. Radiotherapy is often used in conjunction with chemotherapy, and the combined treatment is called 'chemoradiation'. Research has shown that both radiotherapy and chemotherapy (see below) are more effective when they coincide.

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