Radiotherapy uses high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells, while doing as little harm as possible to normal cells. It may be used for treating women with secondary breast cancer in one or more bones. It is also used to treat secondary cancer in the skin and lymph nodes. If secondary breast cancer cells have spread to parts of the brain, radiotherapy can often destroy the cancer cells and help to relieve any effects the brain tumour may cause.

Side effects of radiotherapy

Radiotherapy may cause some damage to normal cells surrounding the cancer. However, women with secondary breast cancer usually only need a short course of radiotherapy treatment with a relatively low dose of radiation, directed at specific areas of the body. Often, they have very few side effects.

You may become tired more easily. If the treatment is given to the abdomen or pelvis you may feel slightly sick for a while (nauseous) or have diarrhoea. These effects can be reduced by medicines which your doctor can prescribe.

If radiotherapy is used to treat secondary cancer cells affecting parts of the brain, it may make your hair fall out in the area in which it is given. The hair usually starts to grow back within a few months after the treatment has finished, although it may not grow back completely. This treatment can make you feel very sleepy or drowsy for a few weeks.

Radiotherapy itself is not painful, but the position you have to lie in for the few minutes it takes to do the treatment may be uncomfortable. If this is the case, it may help to take a painkiller half an hour before your treatment.

Radiotherapy does not make you radioactive and it is perfectly safe to be with other people, including children, after your treatment. If you have any questions about radiotherapy, you can ask your radiotherapist or the staff in the radiotherapy department.

Our section on radiotherapy provides detailed information about this treatment and its side effects.