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Radiotherapy uses high-energy particles or waves, such as X-rays, gamma rays or protons, to destroy or damage cancer cells.

What is radiotherapy?

Radiotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses precise and carefully planned doses of radiation to disrupt and damage the cancer pathway. It uses high-energy particles or waves, such as X-rays, gamma rays or protons, to destroy or damage cancer cells.

Sometimes radiotherapy is the only treatment that you need. At other times, radiotherapy is only part of your treatment. For example, prostate cancer is often treated with radiotherapy alone. Breast cancer may be treated with surgery, chemotherapy (which uses drugs to destroy breast cancer cells) and radiotherapy.

What are the benefits of radiotherapy?

Radiotherapy is safe, non-invasive, painless and effective. External radiotherapy only takes a few minutes and you usually have treatment over several days or a few weeks as an outpatient. This means that many people can continue their normal routine. Some people may develop side effects in the area of the body that is treated. We give you full information and advice about this.

Is radiotherapy right for me?

Nuffield Health provides a modern and advanced radiotherapy service for the treatment of all common cancers. Our dedicated radiotherapy team (consisting of Consultant Clinical Oncologists, Radiographers, Clinical Scientists and other healthcare professionals) provide a personalised and high-quality service, ensuring that the highest standards of patient care are maintained throughout a patient’s treatment. We offer radiotherapy treatments for patients with the following cancers and conditions:

Methods of radiotherapy

You can have radiotherapy in three ways:

  • External radiotherapy: This is when a machine directs high-energy X-rays from outside the body into the cancerous tumour (lump).
  • Internal radiotherapy: This is also called brachytherapy. It is when radioactive material is put inside the body near the cancerous tumour.
  • Systemic radiotherapy: This is when radioactive drugs are given by mouth or put into a vein. The drugs then travel throughout the body.

How you have radiotherapy depends on the type of cancer and where it is in the body. Your consultant will discuss this with you.

Parkside Hospital

53 Parkside, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5NX

020 8971 8000

*Free parking for Private and Self Pay Patients. National tariff applies to NHS patients and Visitors only

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Ways to pay

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Our prices are all-inclusive. We will equal any comparable price. There are no time limits on your aftercare.

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