Internal Radiation Therapy is given to patients because they have cancer.

Internal Radiation Therapy helps to:

• Shrink cancer cells
• Kill cancer cells
• Stop cancer coming back

The radiation can hard like a seed and put into your body with needles.

The radiation can be a pill that you swallow.

The radiation can be a liquid that is put into your body through a drip.

Where do I go?

Internal Radiation is given in hospital.

You might stay in hospital for a week.

You might visit hospital then go home.

You will have to visit about 10 times.

Your doctor will talk to you about what will happen to you

What will happen?

A nurse will check that you are well and healthy.

The doctor might give you a jag or cream.

This will mean you will not be able to feel anything.

A needle might be used to put the seeds of radiation into your body.

A drip might be used to put the liquid radiation in your body.

You might be given a pill or a drink to put the radiation in your body.

Keeping Safe

Radiation can be dangerous to other people.
You and the doctors might have to help keep people safe by

• You might have a room by yourself when in hospital.

• Nurses and doctors might stand away from you when they are talking to you or helping you.

• Your visitors might stand away from you when they come to see you in hospital.

• Children can not visit you.

• Women who are pregnant can not visit you.

Side Effects

You might get some side effects from Internal Radiation Therapy.

This can happen when you are having treatment.

This can happen when you have finished treatment too.

Side effects could be:

• Feeling tired.

• Feeling sick.

• Feeling sore.

Tell your doctor straight away if you have any of these side effects.

Some side effects are more dangerous.

These side effects only happen to some people.

• Diarrhoea with bleeding.

• Forgetting things.

• Not being able to have children.