Medicine

Patient information for Translation

Radiotherapy to the lung

Important: Please tell us if you have a pacemaker as we will need to monitor your heart during your treatment.

Please let us know if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant.

It is important to remember that you need to use contraception whilst receiving treatment for cancer in order to prevent pregnancy – please see our leaflet ‘Avoiding pregnancy during radiotherapy and chemotherapy’

Introduction

Radiotherapy is used to treat cancer using machines called Linear Accelerators (Linac). The Linac aims carefully measured doses of radiation to the abdomen.

Radiation is invisible and painless.

Please remember you are not radioactive and can be around children and pregnant women.

What happens during a Radiotherapy session?

You will be asked to remove the top half of your clothing and put on a gown. Once you are lying on the treatment couch, the radiographers will guide you into the correct position. They will check various measurements before starting treatment.

You will be left alone when the machine is working, but the radiographers will be watching you on cameras at all times. If you need the radiographers for any reason, all you have to do is raise your hand and they will come back into the room.

The treatment session will last between 10-20 minutes. Most of this time will be taken getting you into the correct position for treatment. The radiographers will operate the Linac from outside the treatment room. You will only be left alone for two or three minutes at a time while the radiation is switched on.

This routine will be the same every time you come for treatment.

Skin care

The following advice will help you look after your skin during treatment:

• You can wash, shower or bath normally.
• Treat your skin gently, do not rub or scrub, especially around the treatment areas. When drying, gently pat with a soft towel
• You can use an underarm deodorant
• Avoid extremes of temperature, for example direct sunlight, hot water bottles, electric blankets, and ice packs
• Please refer to the radiotherapy skincare leaflet advising what products can be used to moisturise your skin or speak to your treatment radiographers or radiotherapy nursing staff.

Side effects of Radiotherapy

We plan your radiotherapy treatment so that the dose given to the tumour is maximised without causing damage to surrounding normal tissues. However, it is not possible to avoid the normal tissues completely.

Most side-effects you may experience will be limited to the area where you have the radiotherapy, in this case your chest/lung.

Short term side effects

Skin soreness: Your skin in the treatment area may become red, itchy, or sore. We recommend applying E45 cream, aloe vera gel or Enopen cream as a moisturiser 2-3 times a day.

Please refer to our skin care leaflet for more information.

Fatigue: You may feel tired during your course of treatment. Rest as much as you feel you need to.

Drink plenty of water during your treatment, we recommend 2 litres per day.

Cough: The treatment can cause swelling in and around your healthy tissues in your chest. This is a normal reaction and is the body’s natural response to radiation. This swelling can cause a cough, and sometimes you may develop a cough with mucus If this does happen, let a doctor know.

If you have a cough already, it may get worse before you notice improvements.

Sore throat/indigestion: If the treatment travels through your food pipe (oesophagus) you may experience a sensation similar to indigestion. This is because the radiation can cause swelling in your healthy tissues in your chest.

If this does happen you may need to change your diet to include softer foods which are easier to digest. Let a member of staff know if you experience this. You may need to see a dietician for more advice.

Please note that any side effects that occur during your treatment will continue and/or may get worse a week or two after your last treatment appointment. Please allow 2-4 weeks before returning back to your normal routine.

Smoking and alcohol use

We strongly advise that you stop smoking and stop or reduce your intake of alcohol (particularly spirits), as this makes side effects worse and can make the treatment less effective.

There are smoking cessation drop in clinics at this hospital, please see details below:

St Bartholomew’s Hospital

King George’s Building (KGV) Clinic 1

Drop-in clinic Wednesdays 9am-1pm

Long term side effects

Once you have completed your radiotherapy treatment you will have regular follow-up appointments with your consultant, and you will be carefully monitored for any potential signs of long-term effects.

Irradiation of the lungs can lead to permanent thickening/hardening of the lung tissue – called fibrosis. If lung scarring does occur, you may notice you become more breathless, and you may develop a cough. If you have any concerns, please discuss these with your oncologist.

If you are worried about your side effects after your treatment has finished, please contact your GP or your specialist cancer nurse or refer to the phone numbers below.

Contact Us

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy Basement, King George V Wing (KGV), St Bartholomew’s Hospital, West Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE

020 3465 5222 Radiotherapy Reception   Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm

07917 093 738 Emergency Hotline

(When the department is closed)

Macmillan Cancer Information Centre

Vicky Clement-Jones

Ground Floor, West Wing, St Bartholomew’s Hospital.

Just drop in Mon-Fri 10am-12noon and 2-4.30pm. Or call on 020 346 56611. If calling outside working hours, ring Macmillan free on 0800 808 00 00 or visit the Macmillan website.

Maggie’s Centre

St Bartholomew’s Hospital, West Smithfield, London, EC1A 7BE

Tel: 0203 904 3448

Drop in Mon-Fri: 9am-4pm

https://www.maggiescentres.org/our-centres/maggies-barts/

Large print and other languages
This information can be made available in alternative formats, such as easy read or large print, and may be available in alternative languages, upon request. For more information, speak to your clinical team.
 

এই তথ্যগুলো সহজে পড়া যায় অথবা বৃহৎ প্রিন্টের মত বিকল্প ফরম্যাটে পাওয়া যাবে, এবং অনুরোধে অন্য ভাষায়ও পাওয়া যেতে পারে। আরো তথ্যের জন্য আপনার ক্লিনিক্যাল টিমের সাথে কথা বলুন।

Na żądanie te informacje mogą zostać udostępnione w innych formatach, takich jak zapis większą czcionką lub łatwą do czytania, a także w innych językach. Aby uzyskać więcej informacji, porozmawiaj ze swoim zespołem specjalistów.

Macluumaadkaan waxaa loo heli karaa qaab kale, sida ugu akhrinta ugu fudud, ama far waa weyn, waxana laga yabaa in lagu heli luuqaado Kale, haddii la codsado. Wixii macluumaad dheeraad ah, kala hadal kooxda xarunta caafimaadka.

Bu bilgi, kolay okunurluk veya büyük baskılar gibi alternatif biçimlerde sunulabilir, ve talep üzerine Alternatif Dillerde sunulabilir. Daha fazla bilgi için klinik ekibinizle irtibata geçin.

یہ معلومات متبادل فارمیٹس میں دستیاب کی جا سکتی ہیں، جیسا کہ پڑھنے میں آسان یا بڑا پرنٹ  اور درخواست پر متبادل زبانوں میں بھی دستیاب ہو سکتی ہیں۔ مزید معلومات کے لیے، اپنی کلینکل ٹیم سے بات کریں'۔

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

Please contact us if you need general information or advice about Trust services: www.bartshealth.nhs.uk/pals

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Reference: BH/PIN/1006

Publication date: Aug 2020

All our patient information leaflets are reviewed every three years.

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