Radiotherapy from inside the body

Some patients have radiotherapy from inside the body. This may be in the form of:

A radioactive implant

A radioactive source (usually in the form of small tubes or wires) is put inside or close to the cancer. It is left in place for a carefully measured period of time. This type of treatment may be used to treat gynaecological cancers, for example.

Some types of implant (called seeds) are left in place permanently. Tiny radioactive seeds may be used to treat prostate cancer, for example. The seeds remain radioactive for a few months. There is no need to take them out afterwards. This treatment is called prostate brachytherapy.

Radioactive liquid

For some cancers a radioactive drink or injection is given as treatment. Part of the usual treatment for thyroid cancer is radioactive iodine, given as a drink.

Radiotherapy from outside the body

Radiotherapy from outside the body is called external beam radiotherapy. This is the type that most patients have.

A treatment machine aims high energy X-rays at exactly the place where the cancer is. Radiotherapy is carefully planned so that it damages as few normal cells as possible.

The information in most of this part of the website is about external beam radiotherapy.