Having radiotherapy treatment for bone cancer
Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. You have treatment in the radiotherapy department of the hospital.
You have the treatment broken up into a course of smaller dose treatments called fractions. You usually have a fraction every day, from Monday to Friday, with a rest at the weekend.
Most commonly, you have radiotherapy once daily, for a few weeks or days. For Ewing sarcoma you might have radiotherapy and chemotherapy at the same time. This is called chemoradiotherapy.
Radiotherapy planning
Before you begin your treatment, the radiotherapy team carefully plan your external beam radiotherapy.
The radiotherapy room
Radiotherapy machines are very big and could make you feel nervous when you see them for the first time. The machine might be fixed in one position. Or it might rotate around your body to give treatment from different directions. The machine doesn't touch you at any point.
Before your first treatment, your 
will explain what you will see and hear. In some departments, the treatment rooms have docks for you to plug in music players. So you can listen to your own music while you have treatment.
Your radiographers will help you to lie on the couch. You will be in the same position that you were in for the planning appointment. If they used a plastic shell at the planning appointment then they will use this again.
The radiographers line up the radiotherapy machine using the marks on your body or on the shell. Once you are in the right position, they leave the room.
During the treatment
You need to lie very still. The machine makes whirring and beeping sounds. You can't feel the radiotherapy when you have the treatment.
Your radiographers can see you and hear you on a CCTV screen in the next room. They can talk to you over an intercom and will ask you to raise your hand if you need anything. But it is important to stay as still as possible.
Dan (radiographer): Before your treatment starts your doctor will need to work out exactly where the treatment needs to go and also which parts need to be avoided by the treatment. To have radiotherapy you lie in the same position as you did for your planning scans. We then line up the machine based on your tattoo marks. It is really important that you stay very, very still when you are having treatment it is also important to let the radiographers know right at the beginning if you are not comfortable so they can adjust your position
Radiographer: Ok all done, we’ll be back in a couple of minutes
Dan (radiographer): We leave the room and control the room from a separate room This is so we aren’t exposed to radiation. Treatment takes a few minutes and you will be able to talk to us using an intercom. We can see and hear you while you are having your treatment and will check that you are ok. When your treatment starts you won’t feel anything; you may hear the machine as it moves around you giving the treatment from different angles. Because we are aiming to give the same treatment to the same part of the body everyday then the treatment process is exactly the same everyday so you shouldn’t notice any difference. You’ll see someone from the team caring for you once a week while you are having treatment they’ll ask how you are and about any side effects.
Patient: They get you from one sitting area to another and then take you into the room where you undress to the waist and then lie down and line you up by either moving you or asking you to shuffle a little and they check the dimensions and they talk to one another and they say I am fine this side how are you ...yes fine...ok, stay where you are Jeff and that was it. There were a few little clicks and lights go on and off and you can see a green laser beam which line sup with certain things on your body uh so no, no real noise and no discomfort.
You won't be radioactive
This type of radiotherapy won't make you radioactive. It's safe to be around other people, including pregnant women and children.
Travelling to radiotherapy appointments
You might have to travel a long way each day for your radiotherapy. This depends on where your nearest cancer centre is. This can make you very tired, especially if you have side effects from the treatment.
You can ask your radiographers for an appointment time to suit you. They will do their best, but some departments might be very busy. Some radiotherapy departments are open from 7 am till 9 pm.
Car parking can be difficult at hospitals. Ask the radiotherapy staff if you are able to get free parking or discounted parking. They may be able to give you tips on free places to park nearby.
Hospital transport may be available if you have no other way to get to the hospital. But it might not always be at convenient times. It is usually for people who struggle to use public transport or have any other illnesses or disabilities. You might need to arrange hospital transport yourself.
Some people are able to claim back a refund for healthcare travel costs. This is based on the type of appointment and whether you claim certain benefits. Ask the radiotherapy staff for more information about this and hospital transport.
Some hospitals have their own drivers and local charities might offer hospital transport. So do ask if any help is available in your area.
Side effects
Radiotherapy for bone cancer has some side effects including:
- feeling tired or weak
- reddening of the skin in the treatment area
- loss of any body hair in the treatment area
Other side effects depend on which part of the body is being treated. Not everyone has all the side effects of radiotherapy.
