No. Radiation therapy is not painful. This is one of the most important things I tell every new patient at SPARSH Hospital, Hennur Road, Bengaluru, because the fear of pain is one of the most common reasons patients approach a radiation oncology consultation with dread, and it is a fear that the treatment itself consistently fails to justify. During each radiation treatment session, the patient lies on the treatment couch, is positioned carefully by the radiotherapy team, and the machine either rotates around them or moves to specific positions to deliver the radiation from the planned angles. The actual radiation delivery is completely invisible and completely silent. The patient feels nothing: no heat, no tingling, no pressure, no discomfort of any kind during the radiation itself. The session from entry to exit typically takes between ten and twenty minutes, most of which is positioning time. Many patients, having anticipated something frightening, find themselves surprised that the experience of each treatment session is simply lying still while the machine moves. The side effects of radiation, which are the source of legitimate concern, are not experienced during the session itself. They develop gradually and cumulatively over the course of treatment, as the normal tissues in the treatment area accumulate radiation dose alongside the tumour. For breast cancer radiation, the main side effect is skin reaction in the treated area and fatigue. For pelvic radiation, the main side effects are bladder and bowel symptoms. These are expected, managed proactively with supportive care guidance, and in the majority of patients they resolve after treatment ends. Most of my patients tell me, at the end of their radiation course, that the treatment was significantly less difficult than they had expected. Knowing what to expect before you start makes the experience of going through it considerably more manageable.
Written by Dr. P Sasikala, MBBS, DMRT, DNB (Radiation Oncology), Best Paper Award (Indian Brachytherapy Society, 2016), Karnataka Leadership Award, Consultant Radiation Oncologist, SPARSH Hospital, Hennur Road, HBR Layout, Bengaluru 560043. Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Phone: +91 80958 09322.
