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Radiation therapy for Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas uses high-energy x-rays to kill or damage cells. This is called external beam radiation therapy (EBRT).
Common side effects of radiation therapy are fatigue and skin changes. Talk to your treatment team about any side effects that concern you.
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When radiation therapy is used
Radiation therapy (also known as radiotherapy) uses radiation to kill or damage cancer cells so they cannot grow, multiply or spread. It can be used to treat both groups of lymphoma but is more commonly used for Hodgkin lymphoma.
You may have radiation therapy for:
- Hodgkin lymphoma – as part of the initial treatment. It is often used in combination with chemotherapy
- non-Hodgkin lymphoma – on its own to treat low-grade lymphoma, or after chemotherapy to treat high-grade lymphoma.
The type of radiation therapy used to treat both non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphomas is called external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). It is delivered using a machine called a linear accelerator, which produces high-energy x-rays to kill or damage cancer cells.
It is commonly focused on an area of lymph nodes. It can also be given to the whole body (total body irradiation) before a stem cell transplant.
Having radiation therapy
About 1–2 weeks before you start treatment, your radiation oncologist will use the results of your imaging scans to help work out the lymph node areas to treat with radiation.
Radiation therapy usually starts a few weeks after your last chemotherapy cycle. The actual treatment takes only 1–2 minutes, and you will not be able to see or feel the radiation. Usually, treatments are delivered daily from Monday to Friday.
Most people have radiation therapy as an outpatient. This means you do not stay in hospital, but travel to the hospital or treatment centre for each session. You may have treatment for 1–4 weeks. The radiation oncologist will discuss your treatment schedule with you.
Side effects of radiation therapy
The most common side effect is tiredness. Talk to your treatment team about suitable exercise during radiation therapy – improving fitness can help reduce tiredness.
Radiation therapy can also cause skin changes such as red, dry and itchy skin at the treatment area. Other side effects will depend on the part of the body being treated.
Side effects can build up towards the end of the course of treatment, but most will be temporary. Radiation therapy can also cause some long-term or late effects, which can appear months or years after treatment ends. You will have regular reviews with the treatment team. Talk to them about any side effects that concern you.
Fertility and treatment for lymphoma
Some types of chemotherapy and radiation therapy can affect the ability to have children naturally.
If you produce sperm, you may not make as many. If you have periods, they may become irregular or stop permanently (menopause). Most people treated for lymphoma don’t become infertile. Your doctor will talk to you about the risk and refer you to a fertility specialist if it may be an issue for you. If there is enough time before treatment begins, you may be able to preserve some semen or freeze embryos or eggs.
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