Radiotherapy aims to destroy cancer cells without causing too much damage to healthy cells. External beam radiotherapy is high-energy X-ray beams targeted at the treatment site from outside the body.
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What is it for?
Targeted treatment to destroy cancer cells
External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) consultation at The London Clinic
The external beam radiotherapy’s high-energy X-ray beams damage the cancer cells and stop them from growing and spreading to other parts of the body.
Radiotherapy permanently damages and kills the cancer cells, but healthy cells can repair themselves and recover more easily.
The radiotherapy machine does not usually touch you. Treatment usually only takes a few minutes and is not painful.
This treatment is normally given as a number of short, daily treatments in a radiotherapy department. These are called treatment sessions or fractions.
It is given using a machine that looks like a large x-ray machine.
You usually have radiotherapy as an outpatient, but it is sometimes given as an inpatient if you are feeling unwell.
The number of treatment sessions you have will depend on the type of cancer you have and the aim of the treatment.
FAQs
Using a CT scan, the radiation dose is targeted to the correct area of the body. External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT) directs x-rays not only at the tumour but also, unavoidably, at nearby healthy tissue.Â
Radiotherapy treatment regimens and plans are designed to deliver a higher dose of radiation to the cancer without causing so much damage to surrounding healthy tissues whilst giving the best Radiobiological effect.
The treatment itself is given by therapeutic radiographers. You will be positioned carefully on a treatment couch a short distance away from the treatment machine.
Sometimes, an attachment to the machine will rest on your skin during treatment, otherwise there is nothing to feel from the treatment.
Treatments last for a few minutes and you will be alone in the treatment room while the machine is switched on.
The radiographers are just outside the room, watching you on CCTV monitors, and there is a microphone and speaker if you wish to speak to them during your treatment.
Your treatment may involve moving the machine to several different positions.
This treatment does not make you radioactive.
Consultants
We offer Fixed Price Packages
Where possible, we’ll provide a fixed-price package for your hospital care. This covers your hospital stay, nursing, and use of our facilities, giving you a clear guide to what those costs will be.
- Pre-op assessment
- Hospital stay, nursing care and meals
- Tests, scans and physio during your stay
- Take-home medication (up to 5 days)
- Post-op follow-up appointments
- Standard equipment or prosthesis (if needed)
- Unplanned extended stay or ITU (if clinically required)
- Initial consultation and any tests done during it
- Consultant and anaesthetist fees (quoted separately)
- Physio or therapy before or after your stay
- Diagnostics before admission (unless agreed in your plan)
- Specialist medication beyond 5 days
- Ambulance transport or bespoke prosthetics
Your consultant’s fees are quoted separately and shared directly by their office after your consultation. These professional fees cover the time, expertise, and care provided by your consultant before, during, and after your treatment. See our full terms and conditions
Why choose The London Clinic?
Trusted for over 90 years, The London Clinic is an independent charitable hospital that reinvests into care, research, and support for those who can’t easily access private treatment.
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0% Finance Options
We’ve teamed up with Chrysalis to offer you funding options that allow you to spread the cost of your treatment.
If you choose to pay for your treatment at The London Clinic over 12 months, you can make use of a great 0% interest option and pay nothing extra. Or you can choose to pay over two to five years at 14.9% APR.
Trustees of the London Clinic Ltd trading as The London Clinic is an Appointed Representative of Chrysalis Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The London Clinic is a credit broker, not a lender. The provider of a payment scheme which is not offered through or by Chrysalis Finance Limited may not be so authorised and regulated. Cancer treatments or transplants aren’t covered by finance packages. Finance options are only available for UK patients.