Also known as radiotherapy, this treatment uses targeted radiation, such as x-ray beams, to damage or kill cancer cells.
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When radiation therapy is given
Radiation therapy is often used with chemotherapy as the main treatment for cervical cancer. This is called chemoradiation.
Radiation therapy may also be given after surgery to help destroy any remaining cancer cells and lower the risk of the cancer coming back. This is called adjuvant therapy.
If scans show that the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes or tissues around the cervix, chemoradiation is usually recommended as the main treatment. In these cases, surgery to remove the uterus or cervix is often not needed. There are 2 main ways of delivering radiation therapy: externally or internally. It is common to have both types to treat cervical cancer.
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External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)
In EBRT, a machine precisely directs radiation beams from outside the body to the affected areas of the pelvis. You will lie on a treatment table under the radiation machine. Each treatment session takes around 10–15 minutes and is painless.
EBRT for cervical cancer is usually given daily, Monday to Friday, over 4–6 weeks. The exact number of treatment sessions you have will depend on the type and size of the cancer, and whether it has spread to the lymph nodes.
Internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy)
Brachytherapy delivers radiation directly to the cancer from inside your body, usually through the vagina. It allows a higher radiation dose to be delivered to the cancer, while reducing the amount of radiation to nearby organs (e.g. bowel, bladder).
It’s usually given after external radiation (EBRT). The most common type is high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy, with only a few sessions. You may have treatment as a day patient or stay overnight in hospital. A general or spinal anaesthetic is usually given. A device called an applicator is placed into the cervix through the vagina to deliver the radiation. Treatment usually takes about 10–20 minutes.
After brachytherapy, you may feel some discomfort in the vaginal region or have a small amount of bleeding. Pain medicines can help. Brachytherapy for cervical cancer is not provided at all hospitals, so you may have to travel for treatment.
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Video: What is radiation therapy?
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Dr Antonia Jones, Gynaecological Oncologist, Royal Women’s Hospital and Mercy Hospital for Women, Melbourne, VIC; Angelyn Aligarbes, Consumer; A/Prof Emma Allanson, Gynaecological Oncologist and Head of Dept, Gynaecologic Oncology, King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women, WA; Gemma Busuttil, Radiation Therapist Specialist, Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre, Westmead Hospital, NSW; Laura Carman, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council VIC; Danielle Carpenter, Gynaecology Nurse Consultant, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; A/Prof Pearly Khaw, Lead Radiation Oncologist – Gynae-Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Georgina Richter, Gynae-Oncology Clinical Nurse Consultant, Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA; A/Prof Megan Smith, Research Fellow, Cancer Elimination Collaboration, University of Sydney, NSW; Sophia Wooldridge, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Hunter New England Centre for Gynaecological Cancer, John Hunter Hospital, NSW; Melissa Whalen, Consumer.
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