Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. For treating people with bladder cancer, external beam radiation therapy is typically used. This type of treatment focuses radiation onto the body from a machine that is outside the body.^1-3

How is radiation therapy used to help treat bladder cancer?

Radiation therapy for bladder cancer is generally used in combination with another treatment or treatments. For example, it can be used as part of the treatment for those with early-stage bladder cancer who have had surgery such as transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT), in which the surgeon has removed tumors from the bladder lining but has not removed the patient’s entire bladder.^1-3

Radiation therapy can help to destroy cancer cells remaining in the bladder after the tumor is removed. It can also be used to treat patients with early-stage bladder cancer who are not able to have surgery.^1-3

Radiation therapy can also be used to treat those with advanced bladder cancer that has spread beyond the bladder to nearby organs or distant parts of the body. For these patients, radiation therapy may be used as part of the first treatment of the tumor(s), or it can be used to help prevent and/or treat symptoms that the tumors can cause. It can also be used to treat bladder cancer that has spread to one other area, such as a bone.^1-3

Chemoradiation is radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy treatment, which can make the combined treatment more effective. This is commonly used to treat bladder cancer. If your bladder cancer cannot be treated with chemotherapy, then radiation therapy may be used without chemotherapy.^1-3

What happens during radiation therapy?

Patients receive radiation therapy at a hospital or other specialized healthcare setting. Radiation oncologists are healthcare providers who specialize in treating people who need radiation therapy.^1-3

Before the first radiation therapy session, the radiation oncologist and team use imaging tests (such as CT or MRI scans) and radiation technology to carefully create the right treatment plan during a process called simulation. Information in the treatment plan includes where the radiation will be delivered to the body, how much radiation energy will be used, and how many radiation therapy sessions will be needed.^1-3

People typically do not feel any pain during radiation treatment sessions. Radiation therapy sessions usually last for a few minutes per day (however, setup for the radiation treatment may take some time), 5 days a week, but schedules can vary. The number of weeks of treatment required depends on your radiation treatment plan.^1-3

Can radiation therapy cause side effects?

While the radiation treatment sessions are generally not painful, you may experience side effects from radiation therapy. These may include:^1,2

• Symptoms such as redness or peeling on the skin where radiation is being delivered
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• Symptoms related to urination, such as burning during urination, increased frequency, or blood in the urine
• Fatigue

Symptoms tend to go away after the radiation treatment is completed. However, some people experience side effects that last for a longer time. For example, radiation can damage the lining of the bladder (radiation cystitis), which can cause urinary symptoms.^1-3

Your radiation oncologist and team will talk with you about what kinds of side effects you might experience before, during, and after radiation treatment and about ways to help reduce some of those symptoms.^1-3

These are not all the possible side effects of radiation treatment. Talk to your doctor about what to expect when receiving radiation treatment. You also should call your doctor if you have any changes that concern you when having this treatment.

Before beginning treatment for bladder cancer, tell your doctor about all your health conditions and any other drugs, vitamins, or supplements you are taking. This includes over-the-counter drugs.