Radiotherapy uses targeted doses of radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. You may hear your doctor recommend radiation therapy if you or someone you care for faces cancer. More than half of patients worldwide need radiotherapy as part of their treatment, especially for cancers like breast, lung, and prostate. Advanced radiation therapy techniques deliver high local control and survival rates with fewer side effects.

Radiotherapy for prostate cancer usually takes between 5 days and 9 weeks, depending on the type of treatment chosen. Most patients attend about 45 sessions, with each session lasting around 10 to 60 minutes. Recent advances in radiation therapy, such as hypofractionated schedules, allow some men to finish their treatment in as few as 5 sessions over 1 to 2 weeks. The number of sessions and duration can vary, but medical teams use modern techniques to ensure patient comfort and make the process manageable.

Yes, radiotherapy can cause hair loss, but you will usually notice this only in the area receiving treatment. For example, one clinical study found that 100% of patients with primary brain tumors experienced some degree of hair loss after radiotherapy, ranging from mild to more severe loss. Unlike chemotherapy, which often leads to widespread and temporary hair loss, radiotherapy causes hair loss that is localized and may become permanent if the dose is high. You may find that hair begins to thin or fall out in the targeted region, while the rest of your hair remains unaffected.